Kevin Durant has responded to Stephen A. Smith’s harsh words on ESPN’s “First Take” this week after questioning the NBA superstars’ leadership skills.
The Phoenix Suns will lean on Durant this season while they look to bounce back from their 2023/24 season ending in a first-round sweep by the Minnesota Timberwolves – keeping the same roster together for the upcoming year.
The Suns are once again seen as legitimate competitors in the Western Conference but are a long shot to win the NBA championship behind the likes of the Boston Celtics, Oklahoma City Thunder, and New York Knicks – with Smith not having much confidence in Durant’s team this season.
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Smith stated that he does not have much belief in the Suns’ chances to compete for a championship with Durant as their go-to player. Speaking on ESPN, he said: “I don’t question the greatness nor commitment of Kevin Durant.
“But when you are that great… you should be able to be a better leader than he has shown. He has been relatively leaderless. He’s been very lacking in inspiration in terms of peeling out from those around him whatever you can give me.”
He added: “Kevin Durant will show up. If you said to me, it’s a Game 7, it’s a Game 1, it’s a Game 5. I don’t give a damn what it is. Kevin Durant’s gonna show up and he’s gonna ball out. But does he get the others around him to do it? Not only does he not do it, he doesn’t feel the level of responsibility I think he should feel in getting it out.”
Stephen A. Smith has not held back in criticizing Durant over the years (
First Take/ESPN)
Durant responded on social media stating: “I would disagree Stephen. I would argue, passionately, that my intangibles have always been on par with my talent.”
A fan then responded to Durant, writing that the forward does not want to take responsibility while questioning his skills as a verbal leader, with him writing back: “Respectfully, you don’t know what it takes to be in my shoes so you have zero clue about superstar responsibilities. You are making an educated guess, which you’re entitled to, but you’re 1000000% wrong and it’s okay, that’s why the teacher is here to correct you.”
Durant and Smith have had a fractured relationship over the years, with Smith publicly criticizing his move to the Golden State Warriors in 2016. The two had appeared on a show together in 2019 where they had appeared to be on good terms.
Durant knows what it takes to win championships, having inspired the Golden State Warriors to glory in 2017 and 2018. He was named as the MVP in both of those NBA Finals – ahead of teammate Steph Curry. Yet he failed to bring hardware to Brooklyn during his time with the Nets, despite being part of a superteam alongside Kyrie Irving and James Harden.
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