Kevin Durant has recently been forced to defend himself on social media in light of his recent comments about Michael Jordan. While doing so, the Houston Rockets forward has had to reiterate how he believed Jordan was the GOAT while also sharing how he owns $1 million worth of Jordan shoes. Durant tweeted saying:
“MJ retired 3 times. It’s okay to call that out my brother, I got 1 million dollars worth of MJ shoes in my house hahaha. It’s okay, he retired 3 times and still the goat. Ima applaud that just like Ima applaud playing 22 years at an ELITE level. I like basketball though, you love individuals more.”
The forward’s tweet was in response to another fan’s comment which was addressing the cheeky shot Durant had taken against Jordan while on the “Mind The Game” podcast with LeBron James.
Durant’s comments from the podcast expressed his thoughts on how greatness could be measured in a player’s ability to commit to the sport. In doing so, he took a shot at Jordan by bringing up his decision to retire, while simultaneously praising James’ longevity.
This drew major backlash from former NBA player Ron Harper was particularly livid with Durant’s comment. Considering that Harper was Jordan’s teammate, it was evident why he was so aggrieved.
He responded to Durant’s tweet by saying, “I’m gonna start a real show of BULLS**T… If he stop 3 times he won more than you all!!!!!!”
Durant also responded to a comment on a thread where the image above was used to display the difference in accomplishments between the three players. He said:
“The goats, I’m not tryna compete with these brothers but did Jordan retire or not? That’s all I said lol.”
The led the forward to defend the statement he made about Jordan’s decision to retire by saying there was nothing wrong with that and adding, “Some people need to reset so they can lock back in. I appreciate Mike prioritizing his well being before anything else.”
It is evident that the 36-year-old superstar has faced a lot of heat on social media since making his appearance on the podcast, creating a convoluted thread of conversations. But this hasn’t shaken his confidence one bit.
Even in light of the social media attention he has been receiving, Durant remains confident in his place in history, going as far as to rate himself above both, Jordan and James. He joked about this by tweeting:
“All of em below me in my personal rankings. I wouldn’t have said that a few years ago, we grow and evolve as humans. It’s just a kids game right? Why so serious?”
As things stand, Durant’s legacy has been cemented as one of the greatest players of all time. With two NBA titles and two Finals MVPs to go with them, the forward has displayed the ability to perform at the highest level.
The last stretch of years hasn’t been as kind to the forward, with injury management concerns and other shortcomings derailing any attempts at winning the title. But the 36-year-old now finds himself in an ideal situation with the Houston Rockets.
As the veteran leader of one of the hottest teams in the Western Conference, Durant and the Rockets are primed to become title contenders next season. With the likelihood of this being the star’s last real chance at winning it all, it will be intriguing to see what he and the team have in store.
