Kevin Durant slammed Stephen A. Smith during an interview with The Athletic published on Sunday night, labeling the ESPN pundit a "clown." Smith has been critical of Durant over the years, but recent comments about his abilities as a leader have particularly irked the Suns star.
“Yeah, Stephen A., I don’t understand how people even listen to Stephen A.,” he told the outlet.
“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.
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He’s a clown to me. He’s always been a clown. You can write that, too.
” Read More: Stephen A Smith Claims The Suns Are Desperate To Trade Kevin Durant Nov 2, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) and forward Kevin Durant (35) react after a time out late in the second half during a game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Allan Henry-Imagn Images Addressing the criticism of his leadership specifically, Durant added: “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,” Durant said. “Like, come on, man.
It’s just ridiculous.” Former Suns assistant coach Kevin Young as well as the team's current head coach, Mike Budenholzer, both defended Durant's leadership to the outlet. “He set the tone for us as an organization, for us .