The Time Kevin Durant Lost His Cool With A Reporter For Trying To “Rile Up Steph Curry Fans.”

3 Min Read

With the Golden State Warriors, NBA superstar Kevin Durant achieved unparalleled success. He made three straight trips to the Finals, won two NBA Championships, and took home two Finals MVP trophies as he and his team dominated opponents on a nightly basis.

But after just three years, Durant left the team for an unproven roster in Brooklyn. And while there seems to have been a lot that went into that decision, Durant told us himself once that he always felt like an outsider with the Warriors.

Often, he and Curry were pitted up against each other by the community and it caused a lot of tension between them. On one particular instance, KD lost it with the media after taking exception to a piece written by The Athletic’s Ethan Strauss. The Warriors forward accused Strauss of trying to “rile up” Curry fans by pointing out some of the sacrifices the team made for Durant. Strauss explained the whole situation in his book, The Victory Machine: The Making and Unmaking of the Warriors Dynasty.

“I tried to make a few points, saying I didn’t begrudge him for having leverage with his contract, and insisted that I had good reason to write what I wrote. KD wasn’t impressed and accused me of trying to ‘rile up Steph’s fans.’ He expressed that this was a constant theme in the Bay. All of us local guys just wanted to kiss Steph’s ass at his expense. This was KD’s consistent lament. He would frequently squabble in direct-message conversations with the Warriors fans of Twitter, frequently accusing them of favoring Steph at his expense. In one such exchange that foreshadowed things to come, he was asked by the WarriorsWorld account whether two-time MVP Steph Curry or Kyrie Irving was the better player. ‘I gotta really sit down and analyze it,’ Durant demurred.”

Obviously the “Steph vs Durant” narrative was what ultimately dismantled the dynasty. Durant always felt that he was a visitor to the team — he never felt appreciated.

It’s what led him to Brooklyn and what will make his tenure there so different. He and Kyrie started something there — whereas before he had joined a team that was already established in Golden State.

Hopefully, Durant will feel more at home in The Big Apple.

Newsletter

Stay up to date with our newsletter on the latest news, trends, ranking lists, and evergreen articles

Follow on Google News

Thank you for being a valued reader of Fadeaway World. If you liked this article, please consider following us on Google News. We appreciate your support.

Share This Article
Follow:
Nico Martinez is a veteran staff writer for Fadeaway World from Brooklyn, New York. He joined Fadeaway World in 2016 and is currently residing in Columbia, South Carolina. Nico holds a degree in Sports Management from Columbia International University where he built a strong foundation in the inner workings of sports media and management. Nico's contributions have significantly enhanced the credibility and depth of Fadeaway World's content, earning him recognition across the sports journalism community. His work has been discussed in prestigious publications like Sports Illustrated. A dedicated follower of LeBron James, Nico often leads coverage on news related to the basketball star. With nearly a decade of experience in sports journalism, Nico consistently provides comprehensive and timely basketball news, engaging a wide audience of basketball enthusiasts.Nico's most desired player to interview, past or present, is Kevin Durant. He is particularly keen on asking Durant if he has any regrets about his career, especially concerning his departure from the Oklahoma City Thunder, and why he engages so much with fans on social media. 
Leave a Comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *