Kevin Durant is still getting more hate than any other NBA superstar. His recent shenanigans with the Brooklyn Nets have not helped his cause. The superstar asked for a trade from the Nets despite having 4 years left on his contract leading to a general uproar around the league. He was also criticized heavily for his reported choice of teams when he decided to go, the Phoenix Suns and the Miami Heat.
Since he joined the Golden State Warriors in 2016, Durant’s legacy has been tarnished in the eyes of many. He famously lost with the Oklahoma City Thunder to the Warriors despite being 3-1 up in the series and proceeded to join them in the offseason. Many media members and fans have described this move as the weakest move by any superstar in the league’s history.
And the loudest criticisms come from the game’s old heads, who subscribe to the idea of winning championships by staying with one franchise and grinding it out. Charles Barkley has been on the offensive when it comes to KD all offseason, with his crewmate on Inside The NBA, Shaquille O’Neal also getting involved with calling out Durant.
Shaquille O’Neal Dismissed Kevin Durant’s Championships With The Warriors
Speaking recently on The Big Podcast, Shaquille O’Neal laid into the validity of Durant’s championships with the Warriors. KD won two during that era, claiming Finals MVP twice. But O’Neal seems to think that however many he won wouldn’t have mattered in light of him simply deciding to join the Warriors.
“Don’t be up 3-1 against the team [Golden State Warriors] and all you gotta do is win one stinking game and then you lose and then say, ‘You know what? I’m gonna play with you guys.’
“Nah, hell nah! We ain’t never gonna let it ride. We ain’t gonna let that ride. You could have won four, you could have seven like Big Shot Bob. I ain’t let that ride.”
This is unlikely to sit too well with Durant, and considering his penchant for hitting back at criticism on Twitter; it would be unsurprising to see him do that again. Shaquille O’Neal is somehow even less likely to care, though, the Big Diesel is never shy about speaking his mind. Now that he’s got another opportunity to contend with the Brooklyn Nets, though, KD will be hoping to shut down all this noise on the court next season.
