Quite a few of today’s NBA stars shy away from engaging with the haters on social media, but Kevin Durant is not one of them. Durant routinely gets into arguments with fans on X and during the Fanatics Fest in NYC, Jalen Rose asked him why he chooses to do that.
“The whole point of having social media is to interact with people, right? So, you follow me for a chance to maybe interact with me,” Durant said. “So, it depends on how I feel, I’m gonna interact, and if you troll, I’mma troll back. If you show love, I will show love back. Also, I try to reciprocate energy as much as possible to give people more of an in-depth experience of who I am.”
I asked @KDTrey5 why he likes to clap back on social media… pic.twitter.com/oih1kJ0PGm
— Jalen Rose (@JalenRose) August 18, 2024
Spending all that time arguing on social media certainly doesn’t have a negative effect on Durant on and off the court, so there is really no harm in doing it. It’s only when you allow the trolls to get into your head that you get into trouble, but that doesn’t happen to the 35-year-old. We saw that during the 2024 Paris Olympics, as he seemed to constantly argue with fans on social media.
First, Durant got into back-and-forths with fans about implementing FIBA rules in the NBA. He called them out for “yapping” and making blanket statements, with no real talking points. The 14-time All-Star also stated that some of those rules would make the games boring and take out the randomness he likes.
Durant then cooked an American fan at 5:00 AM for calling out Team USA after a narrow win over Serbia. Just hours later, he fired a shot at Denver Nuggets fans too.
Durant slammed USA Nuggets fans for cheering for Serbia and Nikola Jokic instead of Team USA. He stated that trolling those fans for rooting against the U.S. was “part of the game.”
Despite all these “distractions,” Durant still shone at the Olympics. The 35-year-old averaged 13.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.2 blocks per game and shot 54.0% from the field. He played his part in Team USA winning the gold, and it was the fourth Olympic gold medal he had won in his storied career.
A Fan Hilariously Stated He Expects Nothing From The Phoenix Suns Next Season During This Event
At one point during this event, a fan hilariously roasted Durant and his Phoenix Suns. When Rose asked the star forward what we should expect from him and the Suns, someone from the crowd shouted “Nothing.”
Jalen Rose: “What can we expect from you [Kevin Durant] and the Phoenix Suns this year?”
Someone from the crowd: “Nothing.” 😅
(via @kingtisemedia)pic.twitter.com/Fu1vx6VdJd
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) August 19, 2024
That was brutal. While I expect Durant to play at a high level once again next season, I don’t think the Suns will be making a lot of noise. They have somewhat addressed their point guard issues from last season by signing Tyus Jones, but they’re still not a great defensive team and that’ll ultimately be their downfall.
The Suns were swept by Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round last season and I think, at best, they win one round next season. You do wonder if Durant will stay with the Suns if they do disappoint as I expect them to. He just averaged 27.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 0.9 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game last season and would want to be in a situation where he can compete for a championship. It doesn’t look like that’ll be the case in Phoenix.
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