NBA star Kevin Durant takes shot at Stephen A Smith amid questions over leadership

NBA prima Kevin Durant threw immoderate shadiness astatine ESPN property Stephen A. Smith connected Tuesday's "First Take" statement astir however overmuch blasted the Phoenix Suns prima should enarthrosis for the team’s mediocre season.

The banner connected "First Take" read, "How overmuch blasted does Durant merit for the Suns season?" Smith past dove into however Suns squad proprietor Mat Ishbia is connected the verge of becoming 1 of the worst owners successful the past of the sport.

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Phoenix Suns guardant Kevin Durant, #35, brings the shot up arsenic Minnesota Timberwolves defender Anthony Edwards, #5, defends him successful the 4th fourth astatine Target Center successful Minneapolis connected March 28, 2025. (Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images)

Durant took his ain changeable astatine Smith aft a instrumentality pointed retired the talking points connected X.

"Steve is trying to tally for president, u deliberation helium really paid attraction to a struggling team?? It’s called propaganda," Durant wrote.

Durant suggested his determination to permission the Oklahoma City Thunder to motion with the Golden State Warriors successful 2016 started the hatred run against him. Durant won 2 titles with the Warriors earlier helium near the squad to motion with the Brooklyn Nets.

He added that helium believed helium was "one of the top leaders of each time" and it was a "shame" 1 of the fans who reacted to him could not spot it.

Stephen A. Smith connected the ESPN "NBA Countdown" unrecorded acceptable astatine Intuit Dome. (Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)

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Smith fired back.

"Are we allowed to accidental anything?" Smith said. "There’s a residue of crumbs each implicit the spot astir things that person transpired successful the vocation of Kevin Durant. We mightiness question things present and there, but cipher disrespects this man. I emotion the guy. I don’t disrespect him. I’m simply saying, elements of enactment that different radical whitethorn person had to galvanize a squad is thing that helium doesn’t look to have."

Ishbia made a large gamble with the commercialized to get Durant during the 2022-23 season. The Suns dealt picks and cardinal players similar Cameron Johnson and Mikail Bridges to get him.

This play did not spell arsenic planned. Durant inactive averaged 26.6 points, 6 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game. The Suns finished 36-46 arsenic Durant inactive led the squad successful points per crippled and worth implicit replacement player.

Durant could go a cardinal commercialized campaigner up of the 2025-26 season. He volition beryllium a $54.7 cardinal headdress hit, according to Spotrac.

Phoenix Suns guardant Kevin Durant, #35, looks connected against the Boston Celtics during the 2nd fractional astatine Footprint Center successful Phoenix connected March 26, 2025. (Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images)

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The Suns volition beryllium bringing successful a caller manager aft firing Mike Budenholzer to extremity the year.

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