Kevin Durant addresses racism allegations amid backlash over South Sudan game trash talk
Amid backlash for his alleged racist remarks, Kevin Durant addressed his trash talk during Team USA's matchup against South Sudan in the 2024 Paris Olympics on Wednesday. The two-time NBA champion took to X, formerly Twitter, to clarify that the trash talk was just some banter and that it was all good at the conclusion of the game.
"It’s just banter. We hugged it out after the game," Durant tweeted.
During the Group C clash between Team USA and South Sudan on Wednesday, Kevin Durant had a verbal back-and-forth with South Sudan coach Royal Ivey, who is also his former OKC Thunder teammate.
The two were jawing at each other as Durant went to the line to attempt a pair of free throws in the second half of the game. While Ivey's comments were not caught by the mic, Durant's alleged remarks went viral.
"Y'all n*ggas ain't tough," Durant seemed to say.
Wednesday's game concluded with Team USA clinching a dominating 103-86 win against South Sudan. Kevin Durant recorded 14 points, two rebounds, three assists and three steals in 22 minutes.
With the win, Team USA is on top of the Group C table and has qualified for the Olympic event's quarterfinals with a 2-0 record thus far. Meanwhile, South Sudan slipped to a 1-1 record and will face Serbia on Thursday to determine its fate in the tournament.
Royal Ivey and Kevin Durant share mutual sentiment over in-game trash talk
After Wednesday's clash against Team USA, South Sudan coach Royal Ivey recalled the trash talk incident and shed light on the matter. Ivey shared that the incident was sparked when he told Kevin Durant to stop complaining about the foul calls, which led to the exchange as Durant made his way to the free-throw line.
"That's brotherly love. I don't lie; I tell the truth," Ivey recalled the situation.
"They were fouling, and he got fouled, and he was like, 'Play basketball!' And I'm like, 'How are we supposed to play basketball? You are all playing touch like it's football.' So, we exchanged a couple of words, and I moved on," Ivey explained.
The coach added:
"At the end of the day, that's all brotherly love, and I love that dude. And you know, the feeling is mutual. So, you know, he said something to me. I'm a competitor."
Kevin Durant and Royal Ivey's relationship goes way back to the time the two played together in the OKC Thunder since 2010. Though Ivey's NBA career as a played ended in 2014, his friendship with Durant is still intact.