Kevin Durant has never been shy about confronting critics on social media. Whether it’s a random fan questioning his legacy, a pundit dissecting his decisions, or even someone joking about his hair, KD’s replies have become part of his brand. While most NBA stars ignore online noise, Durant embraces it. In the new season of Starting 5, he explained exactly why.
“When I can’t get that little dopamine hit from playing, I’m definitely getting it from that Twitter. “
“A lot of people want my attention, I don’t think they truly want my attention. So I put them on a big screen so they can realize, get a little bit of fame, and understand it’s not all what it’s cracked up to be. Especially when I’m rehabbing, I’m on edge.”
“If I wake up at 8 o’clock and I go on my Twitter and I see something that’s too edgy, I’m going right back at you. That’s like my coffee in the morning. People come in here, never picked up a basketball, never ran full speed in their life, never got their heart rate up before and they tell you how to approach the game.”
“Like, bro, you can’t guard me. You can’t even make your high school team. And you talking like you nice at ball? That’s when I start violating you. Shut your a** up.”
this segment of KD talking about why he responds to trolls on twitter is hilarious man lmao pic.twitter.com/V6DQAxC2iZ
— A ✩ (@adryanashton) October 16, 2025
Durant described social media as his own form of competition, something to fill the void when he’s not on the court. It’s a remarkably candid admission. Durant doesn’t just scroll through Twitter like most people, he uses it as an outlet. To him, it’s less about defending his name and more about keeping his competitive fire alive.
This mindset has played out countless times online.
Just in the past few months, Durant has fired back at fans over everything from his Suns tenure to comparisons with legends. When a Phoenix fan blamed him for the team’s failed “superteam” experiment, he clapped back without hesitation. Another fan who mocked his friendship with Russell Westbrook caught a brutal response: “More impactful on your life than your dad.”
Durant has also taken aim at the endless Michael Jordan debates that clog social media. After one fan accused him of disrespecting him, KD shot back, “In real life, y’all boys scary.”
In another instance, he responded to a Warriors fan who said Golden State was better off without him: “They will never recover.”
For most players, these would be headline-making meltdowns. For Durant, it’s just another morning scroll.
Critics often argue that he shouldn’t bother, that a superstar of his stature should rise above online chatter. But Durant sees it differently. For him, it’s entertainment, therapy, and a reminder of the world’s double standards.
In a league where most stars are media-trained to perfection, Kevin Durant’s rawness stands out. He’s a basketball savant who still loves mixing it up online, proving that even at 36, the competitive fire that made him a legend hasn’t faded, it’s just found a new arena.
