"I got bad news for KD" - Stephen A. Smith claps back at Kevin Durant for dubbing him 'clown'
ESPN's Stephen A. Smith and Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant have taken shots at each other in the past few days. The latest salvo was fired by Stephen A. during the Monday episode of ESPN's "First Take," responding to Durant who called him a "clown."
Stephen A. pointed out that he would not resort to giving childish comments. He then took the time to praise Durant's game like he's done previously. Then, the ESPN analyst specifically replied to Durant's comments claiming he's never seen Stephen A. attend team practices, shootarounds or film sessions.
This is what Stephen A. had to say:
"I've got bad news for Kevin Durant," Stephen A. said. "If you're expecting me to reciprocate with that kind of pettiness and childishness, it's not gonna happen."
The popular analyst then said that Durant knew his number if he had something to say. Afterward, he called out Durant for allegedly lying.
"Respectfully, Kevin Durant, could you stop lying please," Stephen A. added. "I've been an NBA reporter and I was a columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer as well. He has seen me in the locker room when he was at Oklahoma City and when he was at Golden State. He has certainly seen me at games throughout his career."
Also read: "Sky’s the Limit": Tyus Jones on Teaming Up with Durant, Adapting to Budenholzer’s System, and Suns' Chemistry (Exclusive)
What does Kevin Durant and Stephen A. Smith's war of words stem from?
Stephen A. Smith said on the Oct. 24 episode of "First Take" that he didn't believe in the Phoenix Suns with Kevin Durant as their leader. The ESPN analyst said that while he thought Durant was a talented player, he did not make his teammates better players.
Additionally, Stephen A. claimed that Durant does not take the responsibility of making others better.
This led to Suns coach Mike Budenholzer being asked by the media about Durant's leadership. Budenholzer had reportedly raved about Durant's leadership.
Later, Durant was asked about his reaction to being praised by his coach. He responded by wanting to know why that question was asked in the first place.
In an article by The Athletic's Doug Haller, Durant was quoted taking a shot at Stephen A. Smith. He said that throughout his 18-year career, he'd never seen the "First Take" host during a team practice or a shootaround.
He said that he doesn't understand why people still tune in to Stephen A. before calling him a "clown."
That was not the only time that Durant responded to Stephen A.'s comments about his leadership. The 2014 NBA MVP also responded in the comments section of the clip above. In his reply, Durant claimed that his "intangibles were at par with his talents."