On the heels of Kevin Durant averaging 35.5 points and 10.6 rebounds per game against the Bucks in a seven-game playoff series, that ended his season, the 32-year old was called “more gifted” than Michael Jordan by his former coach Steve Kerr (also a former teammate of His Airness).
For most, a compliment like that would be enough to help them fend off the slingshots and arrows of pundits and Twitter trolls across the sports-media landscape.
But as we know that’s very rarely the case with Kevin Durant.
Largely in a class by himself on the basket court, Durant is equally peerless in his ability to react to perceived slights — not in real life — (he has a bodyguard for that), but on the internet.
He’s been overly sensitive on numerous occasions. Who can forget the fake burner accounts he had in order to engage with and defend himself against fans.
Seven-time All-Star Scottie Pippen, who was a superstar in his own right with the Chicago Bulls as MJ’s multi-skilled sidekick enroute to six championships with the Bulls, tore into Durant while also promoting his new Bourbon and memoir during an interview.
“KD is a better scorer than LeBron, probably has always been able to, “Pippen said. But has he surpassed LeBron? Naw. He tried to beat the Milwaukee Bucks instead of utilizing his team. You see what I’m saying? LeBron James would’ve figured out how to beat them and he…may not hae taken the last shot. But LeBron ain’t KD, and KD ain’t LeBron. KD is a shooter, scorer. But he doesn’t have what LeBron has.”
Durant being the Twitter and social media addict that he is fired back at Pippen and mentioned some of the lowlights of his career when someone alerted him to the 55-year old’s interview.
Kevin Durant went back at Scottie Pippen after he said KD doesn’t know how to play “team basketball.” pic.twitter.com/kmFuCFjJhK
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 24, 2021
Lame as that exchange was, it led to an ESPN story containing the line, “It’s never a good day to be on the receiving end of a KD Twitter mention.”
Fair enough, but that ignores the fact most don’t give a damn about Twitter, let alone who is on the receiving end of a mercurial athlete’s irate mentions.
But as I mentioned earlier that’s not the case with Kevin Wayne Durant, as he feels the need to respond much more useless banter than someone of his stature should, even if it’s coming from another all-time great, which Pip is.
