Phoenix Suns superstar Kevin Durant did not mince words when talking about Stephen A. Smith’s recent claim about his leadership.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!“Yeah, Stephen A., I don’t understand how people even listen to Stephen A.,” Durant told The Athletic‘s Doug Haller following Phoenix’s 103-97 win over the Portland Trail Blazers Saturday. “I’ve been in the league for 18 years. I’ve never seen Stephen A. at a practice, or a film session, or a shoot-around. I’ve never seen him anywhere but on TV talking s— about players. … He’s a clown to me. He’s always been a clown. You can write that, too.”
On ESPN‘s “First Take” last week, Smith praised Durant as an individual player, but said he doesn’t believe Durant has the leadership ability to galvanize his teammates and get the most out of them.
“When you talk about Kevin Durant, this is not what we are going to do. We are not going to look at Kevin Durant and just measure him just on his talent, it’s what ability you have to peel out of others,” Smith said. “I think Kevin Durant is one of the greatest talents this game has ever seen, I think what he has done for the game of basketball and being an ambassador is to be afforded. The flip side to all of that is that he has been relatively leaderless. He’s been very lacking in inspiration in terms of peeling out from those around him.
“He’ll show up. If it is a Game 1 or a Game 7, Kevin Durant is going to show up and he is going to 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 of him. When you are that great and you warrant that much respect, you should be able to be a better leader than he has shown. Because that hasn’t been the case, whether it was in Oklahoma City, whether it was later on in Brooklyn, why am I going to believe that is something you are going to do in Phoenix?”
Not long after the clip emerged on social media, Durant took to X and responded.
“I would disagree Stephen. I would argue, passionately, that my intangibles have always been on par with my talent,” Durant said.
I would disagree stephen. I would argue, passionately, that my intangibles have always been on par with my talent
— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) October 24, 2024
Other personalities, like Charles Barkley, have questioned Durant’s leadership throughout the years as well. However, Durant’s teammates and coaches have always stood behind him on this front.
“We’re kind of through the camp phase of life, but how hard he went in camp, the drills and the different things,” coach Mike Budenholzer said last week of Durant (via Haller). “He set the tone for us as an organization, for us as a team. And it’s not just been by leadership. It’s been his voice. He’s put his arms around young players. He’s put his arm around veterans. He’s put his arm around me. It’s something that’s important to us. I don’t know if he likes it or knows it, but I’m going to keep pushing him to be his best, in all ways, including as a leader.”
Durant’s work ethic has always been at the forefront of what those around him admire most.
“It’s contagious,” point guard Tyus Jones said (via Haller). “He’s an all-time great. You see him showing up, going 110 percent each and every day, working on his craft. Even in Year 18, he’s still looking for ways to get better. He’s still pushing himself to get better. How do you not do the same?”
Even with what the outside media has said about his leadership, Durant told Haller he has remained “the same dude.”
“Obviously, you grow as a human being, you get more comfortable with yourself, you get more comfortable talking to crowds as you experience more and more in the league,” Durant said. “… I’ve always been on this trajectory, of diving deep into the game, not just for myself but for the whole team. To say that I’m just sitting here, you paint this picture of me coming into the locker room, not talking to my teammates, quiet, not talking to my coaches. Like, come on, man. It’s just ridiculous.”
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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
