“Jordan didn’t have to worry about that, Bird, Magic, Dr. J, they didn’t have to worry about that” - Chris Broussard says Kevin Durant believes that media scrutiny has changed the game for the worse
Kevin Durant attacked some of the most popular figures in the basketball media, saying that they have changed the game for the worse.
My theory is that guys like steve, skip and Shannon have changed the game for the worse. Playas like Stephen and Michael can only push the game forward. twitter.com/firsttake/stat…
Durant's response has been met with more criticism from media personalities. Shannon Sharpe aimed to correct a notion he believes KD has regarding him.
However, Chris Broussard came out somewhat in defense of KD, pointing out that it was not the same for the old heads. On "The Odd Couple," Broussard said:
"I do think this is what Durant's alluding to when he says 'change the game for the worse.' It is in a big way, it's harder on players today because they are more scrutinized than ever.
"A Tuesday night game in January in Utah. If Kevin Durant goes 7-for-28 and misses a game-winning shot or potential game-winning shot, it's going to be talked about on all the talk shows the next day.
"That (Michael) Jordan didn't have to worry about that, (Larry) Bird, Magic (Johnson), Dr. J (Julius Erving), they didn't have to worry about that.
"We only really remember, for the most part, the great games that the old heads had. And they were not held to the standard. They may have been locally like you said. The local columnist may have ripped them, but that wasn't national, that wasn't on national television.
"Imma point a few things out because I guarantee you if some of these guys, Steph (Curry), Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Klay Thompson, whoever have bad games in these finals, they're going to get killed."
Broussard listed the finals games that Larry Bird put on a mediocre showing, but did not get as much scrutiny in the media. He pointed out that if any of the players in the finals have such games, they will be heavily criticized. He said:
"The players don't like the criticism, and the criticism just like the praise is more than ever. The criticism is too. And I know that wears on the players. You have a bad quarter people are talking about it. You miss a shot late, people are talking about it, and that's what Durant's alluding to."
Modern-day media has undoubtedly put a bigger lens on the game. Players are a lot more in the public eye than they were back in the day. Everyone gives their opinion through social media, even those who do not understand the game.
Can Kevin Durant lead the Brooklyn Nets to a championship in 2023?
While the back-and-forth on social media addresses some off-the-court concerns, Durant's primary goal is to win a championship for the Brooklyn Nets.
Since joining the team in 2019, things have not played out how the All-Star forward had hoped. Although he missed the 2019-20 season due to injury, the Nets lost to the eventual champion Milwaukee Bucks in the 2021 Eastern Conference semifinals.
Their 2022 campaign was a lot more disappointing, as they lost to the Boston Celtics in the first round. The series ended in a sweep and will likely go down as the only sweep in the 2022 playoffs.
The Nets have big decisions to make ahead of the 2023 season. While Kevin Durant is an extraordinary athlete, they need to surround him with enough talent to make the push for a championship.