"I can put up stuff about him and Russell and James and Serge Ibaka, but I ain't going to respond"- Charles Barkley on Kevin Durant's social media posts about him
Charles Barkley has responded to Kevin Durant after the Brooklyn Nets superstar took to Instagram to fire shots at the Hall of Famer. Durant earlier trolled Barkley after the 59-year-old brutally roasted the Nets for their 4-0 first-round series loss to the Boston Celtics.
Barkley, who was the league MVP in the 1993 season, slammed Durant last week by calling him a 'bus rider.' Expressing displeasure with KD's efforts during the series, Barkley said on "NBA on TNT":
"All these guys walking around with championship rings, y’all are bus riders. When you’re the bus driver, and you’ve got all that pressure where you have to play well or you’re gonna get the blame, that’s a different animal.”
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. https://t.co/esQmbJzpXM
Kevin Durant took offense to Charles Barkley's statement and posted a few pictures of the Hall of Famer from his days in the Houston Rockets franchise.
Barkley played for the Rockets team alongside Hakeem Olajuwon and Scottie Pippen for four years but failed to win a championship.
KD continues to go after Charles Barkley https://t.co/WUtuaK8TSp
But despite going ringless in his 16-year career, Barkley is regarded as one of the best forwards in the NBA. He returned to "NBA on TNT" on Tuesday and responded strongly to Durant's Instagram stories.
"I can put up stuff about him and Russell and James and Serge Ibaka, but I ain't going to respond," Barkley said. "You want me to put up him, Russ, James and Serge Ibaka, I said no. Listen, KD is a great player, only point I was making, life is different when you're riding the bus."
Chuck responds to KD.
(via @NBAonTNT) https://t.co/EYLkAiAXgK
Barkley and Durant have a history of going at each other. However, this time Durant pulled out the big guns by firing shots at Barkley's legendary career.
The Brooklyn Nets' exit from the playoffs is a big disappointment. It has led to a lot of criticism directed at Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, as they are the star players of the team.
Barkley is one of the most fearless analysts on television and often has some bold basketball takes. Durant, on the other hand, is not a player who lets go of comments about him.
Is the Brooklyn Nets' first-round sweep going to affect Kevin Durant and his legacy?
Kevin Durant had a stellar 2021-22 season before an MCL injury derailed his campaign and kept him out of action for more than a month.
In his absence, the Nets lost their way and ended up losing 11 games in a row. Amidst all the chaos, James Harden forced his way out of the franchise and decided to team up with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Kevin Durant has lost 6 playoff games in a row. https://t.co/z0cDyZa3zn
Despite Durant's return, the Nets still took some time before they found their rhythm. Kyrie Irving was a part-time player due to his vaccination stance, and it was only until late in the season that he was granted permission to play at home.
The Nets were inconsistent and kept losing games, which eventually pushed them to a play-in spot. They easily made their way to the playoffs by beating the Cleveland Cavaliers, but their opposition in the first round was the Boston Celtics.
Led by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, the team looked determined right from Game 1. They managed to edge out a win in all the games and became the only team to execute a series sweep in the 2022 NBA playoffs.
Kevin Durant in his 15th season:
30 PPG
7.4 REBS
6.4 AST
0.9 STLS
0.9 BLKS
51.8 FG%
38.3 3PT%
91.0 FT%
37.2 MPG
63.4 TS%
+269 https://t.co/cmE7ynPAHH
Durant was defended well by the Celtics. They made things extremely difficult for him, and this worked out well for them. He averaged 26.3 PPG but shot only 38.6 % from the field.
Durant had a great Game 4, where he scored 39 points. However, the Celtics hung on to the end and grabbed a 116-112 win.
The Brooklyn Nets were considered to be the preseason favorites as they had three of the best offensive players in the league. However, things have not gone according to these expectations.
This has been one of the most disappointing campaigns of Kevin Durant's career, but the former MVP will likely be back stronger next season.