Apr 12, 2024; Sacramento, California, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) controls the ball against Sacramento Kings guard Keon Ellis (23) during the second quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports
Kevin Durant has an unhealthy obsession with getting into verbal altercations on social media. The Phoenix Suns superstar rarely gets into trouble off the field but his proclivity for responding to criticism online has been his undoing in the past and continues to be.
On Saturday, Durant was at it again on X, formerly Twitter. He took exception to Phnx Sports podcast host Lindsey Smith’s comments about him after the Suns’ 108-107 win over the Sacramento Kings. She said,
“I didn’t get the vibe that anybody on this [Suns] team was willing to do the dirty work, put the team on their back and force a win… It didn’t feel like anybody had that energy. So this [performance against the Kings] was really good to see. I know I can trust [Devin] Book[er] from time-to-time whenever he needs to because I’ve seen it happen before. I would like to think at certain points in time I could trust it from KD, but I don’t really know.”
Durant saw Smith’s comment on X and enquired about what she meant. One fan explained that the host was unsure whether the Suns could bank on the two-time Finals MVP to bail them out with a massive performance if the rest of the team struggled. Durant laughed her opinion off and snarkily replied,
“Oh hahaha. Bless her heart.”
One Suns fan asked Durant to not blow Smith’s opinion off and to watch the whole clip to understand the context. The former MVP dismissively responded,
“Please go away, nobody cares what you have to say (right now)”
Durant’s unnecessarily rude response suggests he wasn’t too pleased about Smith’s assessment and wasn’t interested in hearing suggestions that the quote lacked context. The star has shown an affinity for not taking criticism too well on occasion, as his argument with fans who claimed he wasn’t a top-five basketball player of all time on X Spaces, formerly Twitter Spaces, showcased. The Suns star has no flaws in his game, but his social media addiction does seem to be his Achilles heel.
Kevin Durant’s playoff numbers
Credits: USA TODAY SPORTS
While Kevin Durant’s response to Lindsey Smith questioning his ability to drag his team to a win can be critiqued, his numbers suggest that the podcast host must be unaware of his playoff heroics. The Suns superstar is one of the most prolific playoff performers ever. Per Statmuse, among players with at least 75 playoff appearances, Durant’s 29.4 points per game ranks only second behind Michael Jordan (33.4).
He’s one of only 12 players with multiple Finals MVP awards and only five players have won it more times than him. Durant’s ability to put his team on his back was on display during the Brooklyn Nets’ epic seven-game series against the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021. With superstar teammates Kyrie Irving and James Harden injured, the forward averaged 35.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.1 blocks, and was a couple of inches away from guiding his team to an unlikely series win against the eventual champions.
Durant is one of the best playoff performers of his generation, and the Suns will bank on him to guide them to their maiden NBA title this year.
