“You don’t get to dance like you on Dancing with the Stars” - Stephen A. Smith calls out Kevin Durant for saying absolutely nothing on his podcast
With Kyrie Irving's contract negotiations hitting a roadblock, Kevin Durant found his name in the headlines for an entirely different reason. As Brooklyn's other star, many are waiting for his response on the team's impasse with the impending free agent.
Sources: Kevin Durant is monitoring the Brooklyn Nets’ situation and considering options with his future.
This now opens the path for Kyrie Irving to proceed on finding a new home via opt-in and trade.
During a recent appearance on ESPN, Stephen A. Smith called out Kevin Durant for how quiet he's been regarding the entire situation. The longtime analyst expects more from someone regarded as one of the league's biggest names.
"If you gonna have a podcast. Don't you have to say something? He said absolutely nothing, Nothing. You gotta speak my brother. Uh excuse me. How did you feel when Golden State won the chip? Did you regret making that move? OK? No, how do you feel about Kyrie Irving?"
Smith then went on to compare Kevin Durant to Draymond Green and the 'new media.' Saying that someone with a similar platform should be forced to speak up on pressing issues such as what is going on with Kyrie Irving.
"And while you're addressing those topics that the public want to know about, you actually have to answer. You don't get to dance like you on dancing with the stars. They don't go down like that ain't New media."
Should Kevin Durant be forced to speak up on the Kyrie Irving drama?
While Smith might feel Kevin Durant is obligated to speak about Kyrie Irving's situation, the Brooklyn Nets forward has the right to stay silent if he wishes to. Durant is not involved directly with discussions.
Kevin Durant on Kyrie Irving's situation with the Nets:
"I can't be involved. This is this man's livelihood. It's much bigger than me... I just kinda let things play out and see what happens... Whatever happens, the friendship will still be there."
(via @boardroom/@bansky) https://t.co/vlfg9umzLS
Comparing Kevin Durant to Draymond Green in this matter is also a bit of a stretch. Part of why Green is the frontrunner for the "new media" is because of his personality. He is also a vocal person, while Durant plays things close to the vest. The former MVP should not be held to the same standard simply because speaking up isn't in his nature.
In the offseason, stars aren't expected to speak. If this were training camp, it would be a different story. While Durant has a podcast, he created the platform to talk about the things he wants.
The only reason people expect Durant to speak up is because of his relationship with Kyrie Irving. They share a close bond off the court and signed for Brooklyn together because they wanted to join forces. Due to the nature of how the duo was formed, a case could be made that Durant should be inclined to say something.
Until this situation is resolved, it seems unlikely that we will get any sort of formal statement from Durant.