NBA star Kevin Durant threw some shade on ESPN -personality Stephen A. Smith on Tuesday’s “First Take” debate about how much blame the Phoenix Suns star should shoulder for the team’s bad season.
The banner on “First Take” Read “, how much fault deserves Durant for the Suns season?” Smith then dies into how Suns team owner Mat Ishbia is on the verge of becoming one of the worst owners in the history of the sport.
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Phoenix Suns Fremad Kevin Durant, #35, brings the ball up as Minnesota Timberwolves -Guard Anthony Edwards, #5, defends him in the fourth quarter of Target Center in Minneapolis on March 28, 2025. (Bruce Kluckhohn-Preferred Pictures)
Durant took his own shot against Smith after a fan pointed out the voice points on X.
“Steve is trying to run as president, you think he was actually aware of a fighting team ?? It is called propaganda,” Durant wrote.
Durant suggested his decision to leave Oklahoma City Thunder to sign with the Golden State Warriors in 2016 started the hate campaign against him. Durant won two titles with Warriors before leaving the team to sign with Brooklyn Nets.
He added that he thought he was “one of the greatest leaders of all time,” and it was a “shame” that one of the fans responding to him couldn’t see it.
Stephen A. Smith on ESPN “NBA COUNTDOWN” LIVE SET ON INTUIT DOME. (Kirby Lee-Preferred Pictures)
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Smith fired back.
“Are we allowed to say something?” Said Smith. “There is a remnant of crumbs everywhere in the place that has happened in the career of Kevin Durant. We may be questioning things here and there, but no one respects this man. I love the guy. I do not respect him. I simply say, elements of leadership that other people may have had to galvanize a team is something he does not seem to have.”
Ishbia made a bigger gamble with the trade to acquire Durant in the 2022-23 season. Suns yield picks and key players like Cameron Johnson and Mikail Bridges to get him.
This season did not go as planned. Durant was still an average of 26.6 points, 6 rebounds and 4.2 assists per day. Match. Suns ended 36-46 when Durant still led the team in points per year. Fight and value over the replacement player.
Durant could become an important commercial candidate in front of the 2025-26 season. He wants to be a hit of $ 54.7 million according to Spotrac.
Phoenix Suns Fremad Kevin Durant, #35, looks at Boston Celtics during the second half at the Footprint Center in Phoenix on March 26, 2025. (Rick Scuteri-Pre-Form Pictures)
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