Kevin Durant had a message for Charles Barkley after today’s Phoenix Suns practice following Barkley’s comments during the All-Star Game Sunday when he said Durant was not a leader.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!“I just feel like a lot of people that’s on TV that don’t ever come to the gym, don’t ever come to games, it’s hard for them to speak on what I do,” Durant said. “They not in here. It’s just part of TV. They needed something to fill the segment up. So they talk about some negative s—, but if you’re not in the gym, I don’t respect your opinion if you’re not in the gym with me. That’s just what it is.”
(Video credit to AZ Central’s Duane Rankin)
"It's just part of TV. They needed something to fill a segment up. So they talk about some negative shit, but if you're not in the gym, I don't respect your opinion if you're not in the gym with me."
Kevin Durant on Charles Barkley's "follower" comments on leadership. #Suns pic.twitter.com/9TdI5uZAms
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) February 21, 2024
Barkley said he wanted Durant to be the Suns’ leader, but he couldn’t because “Kevin’s a follower. He’s not a leader. He’s proven that on all of his stops.”
Charles Barkley on who should be the #Suns leader:
"I really wanted it to be KD, but he's not doing it. To me it's gotta be Booker … No disrespect to Kevin. Kevin's a follower. He's not a leader. He's proven that on all of his stops.”
pic.twitter.com/OuSEHbpjyp— Burn City Suns Talk 🎙️ (@BurnCitySuns) February 19, 2024
Less than two years ago, Barkley infamously called Durant “a bus rider” rather than a “bus driver.” When talking about all of his stops, Barkley is saying that when Durant was the leader in Oklahoma City, he lost in the NBA Finals. Then, Durant won two championships in Golden State while following the lead of Stephen Curry.
This “bus rider” remark really started the whole narrative around Durant not being a leader.
Charles Barkley called Durant a Bus Rider🤣🤣🤣 and cooked Trae Young. All yall talking about how the Knicks don't have no stars Like Trae Young and Kevin Durant. Not everybody is who we thought they were. pic.twitter.com/esQmbJzpXM
— Tony Banks (@hiphopstolen) April 25, 2022
“When guys like that say that, I just got to chalk it up to them just not being aware of what goes on,” Durant said in the Boardroom Cover Story released yesterday, “instead of like wanting to push a narrative for myself, maybe not narrative, (but) tell the truth for myself, expose the truth for how great of a leader I am, I don’t feel like it’s necessary. I just chalk it up to those guys not being aware of who I am.”
KD on why the media may think he’s not a leader.
This and more in our full conversation dropping tomorrow 2/20 — on the @BleacherReport App and Boardroom platforms. pic.twitter.com/CxUeuWvErx
— Boardroom (@boardroom) February 20, 2024
More from Durant’s Boardroom Cover Story here:
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Brendan Mau is a senior writer covering the Phoenix Suns and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @Brendan_Mau
