"You just a flat out hater" - Kevin Durant blasts Stephen A. Smith for suggesting his legacy will take a dip for joining Kyrie Irving and leaving Steph Curry
Brooklyn Nets' Kevin Durant has always been a big user of social media, whether it is for clapping back at trolls or correcting a false narrative. On this occasion, he has called out sports analyst Stephen A. Smith for his latest comments about KD and the current state of the Nets.
There has been somewhat of a back-and-forth between the two since the latter took an interesting stance about Durant's decision to leave Stephen Curry to partner with Kyrie Irving.
Smith feels that decision could be the defining narrative about the Nets star in the near future. He feels Durant may not be viewed as the elite-level scorer he is with two NBA championships and two Finals MVPs if the Nets fail to win the 2022 championship.
“If [the Nets] do not win a championship. … Kevin Durant is on the verge for being recognized more so for the guy that left Steph Curry to go with Kyrie Irving, than he is for the two chips and two finals MVP.”
—@stephenasmith 😳 https://t.co/HqCuCP86WS
That comment prompted a response from Durant, who replied to the video clip by calling it "egregious." In an attempt to clarify his comments, Stephen A. said this on NBA Countdown:
"All I'm saying is there are gonna be people, especially if Golden State wins and Brooklyn doesn't win. With all of this stuff that went on this year, that is going to look at his choice to join with Kyrie Irving and depart from Steph Curry as opposed to staying with Steph Curry. That's all I'm saying. I ain't saying it's fair, I'm not saying it's right."
Regardless of the supposed explanation, KD was still not having it as he came at Smith again and said:
"Steve, since u decided to use ESPN to push your personal agendas, im sure your minions will run with this story for you, but if u believe this is what my career is defined by then you just a flat out hater. It’s gonna be hard to box the god in."
Steve, since u decided to use ESPN to push your personal agendas, im sure your minions will run with this story for you, but if u believe this is what my career is defined by then you just a flat out hater. It’s gonna be hard to box the god in twitter.com/stephenasmith/…
Fans will likely always remember that he left the Warriors to join the Nets in the 2019 offseason. However, it is indeed shocking to imagine that Durant's entire career would be defined solely by that.
The Nets have recorded seven consecutive losses without Kevin Durant
Kevin Durant has been unavailable for the Nets' last ten games due to an MCL sprain in his left knee, and the team has recorded only two wins in that period. Brooklyn, who once topped the Eastern Conference standings, now sit sixth with a 29-23 record.
Coming into the season, the Nets were favorites to win the championship but have not looked dominant enough at any point in the season. They played well early in the season despite not being at full strength because Kyrie was out due to New York's COVID-19 mandate.
However, Kevin Durant's injury has been a big blow to the Nets, who have been struggling. Between Kyrie playing only road games, Joe Harris being out for the season, and James Harden currently dealing with a hamstring strain, the Nets do not look like championship contenders.
Meanwhile, KD will miss the 2022 All-Star game despite being named captain of the East. He has fallen out of the top five in the MVP race but is still the league's leading scorer with 29.3 points per game.