Kevin Durant is one of the most polarizing figures in the NBA. Despite being one of the most talented players in NBA history, Durant is not a universally loved figure. In fact, he does have a large number of people who cannot stand him and criticize him for every move he makes.
But it appears Durant values the negativity, even more than the admiration. On Twitter, Kevin Durant sent a message to the NBA world. He said that he always knew he needed love and admiration, but he values hatred and animosity more, probably because it helps drive and motivate him to prove people wrong.
Knew I needed love but I think I value the hate more….
— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) December 16, 2021
Knew I needed love but I think I value the hate more…
Durant is a player who has been mired in controversy for almost his entire career. Since he entered the NBA, KD has been vocal and outspoken, and while some fans have praised him for it, there are those who feel that he takes things too personally sometimes.
But KD became the NBA’s villain in 2016 when he joined the Golden State Warriors to form one of the most dominant teams in NBA history. Many fans hated him for it, as it made the NBA uncompetitive. And while Durant leaving the Warriors to join the Nets has helped his reputation, some of that animosity has followed him to Brooklyn.
Someone else who pointed out KD’s need for animosity as fuel was none other than Skip Bayless. Recently, Durant shut down Bayless on Twitter, and Bayless responded by saying that Kevin Durant needs to create animosity within the media toward him in order to motivate himself to be a better player.
Durant has been on the receiving end of a lot of praise recently, as a survey conducted among former NBA players voted him the best player in the league. So perhaps, with all the love in the world, Durant feels like he needs some animosity in order to feel like he is fighting against someone.
