Kevin Durant's alleged trash-talk goes viral in back and forth with Royal Ivey during USA-South Sudan clash
Kevin Durant is not the one to shy away from a verbal back and forth on the court. 'The Slim Reaper' was at it again on Wednesday during Team USA's 103-86 win over South Sudan in the Paris Olympics Men's Basketball Group C fixture. KD got into it with South Sudan coach Royal Ivey, his former OKC Thunder teammate.
The incident occurred in the second half as Durant went to the free throw line for a pair of attempts. The two were jawing at each other. While Ivey's comments missed the mics, Durant's didn't. The Suns' star's trash talk went viral late on Wednesday, where he allegedly said:
'Y'all n*ggas ain't tough." (via phoenixsunshoop/IG)
Here's the video:
Durant may have been mocking Ivey's demeanor on the sidelines. The South Sudan coach was pretty active and vocal throughout the night. His players also replicated that on the court, giving the Americans a run for their money early in the contest. South Sudan played hard, but it wasn't enough as KD and company secured a 17-point win.
Durant finished with 14 points, three assists and three steals, shooting 2 of 5. He hit his only two makes from 3-point range and 8 of 9 from the free throw line.
Kevin Durant appreciates 'brother' Royal Ivey's work with South Sudan basketball
Kevin Durant appreicated the work Royal Ivey did with South Sudan during a July 25 press conference. Durant said he would root for them if they weren't playing the USA. He also had kind words for his 'brother,' Royal.
"Royal's a brother to me, somebody who has impacted my life in different ways even outside of the game of basketball," Durant said.
He added:
“Secretly, I am rooting for them a little bit — except when they play us."
Kevin Durant and Royal Ivey's relationship goes way back. The two played for the OKC Thunder in multiple stints. Ivey signed with the team in 2010 and was part of the group led by Durant and Westbrook, which made the 2012 NBA Finals. Ivey returend to the Thunder in 2014, where signed a 10-day contract. His NBA career as a player ended after that.
However, his friendship with Durant was still intact. Ivey returned to the league as an assistant coach in 2016 with the Thunder again, but Durant had left for the Golden State Warriors. Ivey spent stints at the Knicks (2018) and Nets (2020), where he linked up with KD again.
A year later, Ivey was South Sudan's coach. Under his leadership, they made the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup where they finished as the best African team, earning an automatic qualification to the Paris Olympics. He led the team to a 90-79 win in their debut Olympics game against Puerto Rico.