Angry Kevin Durant SLAMS ‘clown’ Stephen A. Smith for leadership criticism

Kevin Durant claps back at Stephen A. Smith's criticism, defending his leadership skills in a fiery response to the ESPN host.

Angry Kevin Durant SLAMS ‘clown’ Stephen A. Smith for leadership criticism

Kevin Durant and Stephen A. Smith

The new NBA season has already brought plenty of drama both on and off the court, and tensions are heating up with Kevin Durant openly expressing his dislike for ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith. The outspoken commentator previously questioned Durant’s leadership abilities on the October 24 episode of First Take.

Kevin Durant, who apparently didn’t bury the hatchet responded to Smith’s criticism. He did so while he was in an interview with The Athletic’s AA, with fans seeing it as his willingness to stand up for himself against harsh opinions.

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Yeah, Stephen A., I don’t understand how people even listen to Stephen A. I’ve been in the league for 18 years. I’ve never seen Stephen A. at a practice, or a film session, or a shoot-around. I’ve never seen him anywhere but on TV talking s*** about players… He’s a clown to me. He’s always been a clown. You can write that, too.

Kevin Durant said

Durant has never been one to shy away from expressing his thoughts on criticism. This time, he took issue with Smith’s comments about his leadership abilities, which struck a nerve.

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KD’s response has highlighted the ongoing tension between athletes and sports media personalities. As a prominent figure in the NBA, Durant is accustomed to facing scrutiny, but Smith’s comments clearly crossed a line.

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And while the exchange between Durant and SAS is likely far from over. The NBA world watches how he would respond to the Slim Reaper’s attack.

Kevin Durant reaches another milestone in legendary career

Moving ahead, the Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant has continued to etch his name in the NBA record books. In Saturday’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers, he became the 16th player in NBA history to achieve 10,000 field goals.

This milestone has come on the heels of other notable achievements this season, which include him becoming the eighth player to reach 29,000 career points as well as the oldest player to start a season with four consecutive 25-point games.

Furthermore, he has now joined Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James as the only two active players to reach this milestone. Despite the constant criticism, the achievement has underscored his enduring greatness and consistent scoring prowess throughout his illustrious career.

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His team, the Suns, also has started the season strongly with a 4-1 record largely thanks to his strong performances. Exciting reports have indicated that the team plans to offer him a two-year extension next offseason in an attempt to pair him with co-star Devin Booker in pursuit of the franchise’s first NBA championship.