Kevin Durant is the only NBA superstar who’s unapologetic about being chronically online. The Phoenix Suns star once openly admitted to having burner accounts to comment on social media posts and even hopped on an X, formerly called Twitter, space to argue with fans who did not consider him a top-five player. So when Hall of Famer Charles Barkley recently said that Durant was not a leader, everyone knew it was only a matter of time before the former MVP responded.
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Unsurprisingly, it took him less than 24 hours to address the comments. In a snippet of the latest unreleased episode of the Boardroom podcast, Durant said,
“I’m not as charismatic as my peers. I don’t have a personality that like, fit for TV. And a lot of those stories of what we talk about don’t get spoken about in the media. You got to sell what you are doing as well and I haven’t sold it enough. I don’t feel like I need to. I don’t feel like I want my people to call me a leader.”
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Durant claimed that the narrative of him not being a leader was shaped by him not flaunting his leadership skills. He pushed back on Barkley’s comments and claimed that analysts who call out his leadership skills do it because they are unaware of the real picture behind the scenes.
In the past, Durant has either dismissed suggestions similar to Barkley’s or responded with a verbal jibe. However, his response this time was more articulate and measured, suggesting he genuinely wants to be seen as a good influence on his teammates. It’s a tough sell considering his past actions, but props to him for trying to change the narrative about his leadership skills.
Snubbing Kevin Durant, Charles Barkley puts the onus on Devin Booker to lead the Suns
The Phoenix Suns are among the top contenders to win the NBA title. However, injuries to Bradley Beal have disrupted their campaign, and they sit fifth in the Western Conference standings. During the All-Star game, Charles Barkley and Draymond Green discussed the Suns’ title odds, and the Hall of Famer suggested that Devin Booker should take over as the team’s vocal leader because Kevin Durant won’t do it. He said,
“To me, it’s gotta be [Devin] Booker [who leads the Suns]. He’s got to be your mental leader and vocal leader to a certain degree. No disrespect to Kevin. Kevin’s a follower. He’s not a leader. He’s proven that on all his stops.”
“Kevin’s a follower. He’s not a leader. He’s proven that on all of his stops.”
– Charles Barkley on Kevin Durant
(h/t @NBA_NewYork )
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) February 19, 2024
While Durant’s response to Barkley’s claim about his leadership was measured, he wasn’t as articulate the last time the two butted heads. After Durant’s Brooklyn Nets fell behind 3-0 in their first-round playoff series against the Boston Celtics, Barkley called out the two-time Finals MVP, saying,
“You guys always talk about that championship stuff. I try to tell y’all. All these bus riders. They don’t mean nothing to me. If you ain’t driving the bus, don’t walk around talking about you a champion… When you the bus driver and you’ve got all that pressure where you have to play well or you’re gonna get the blame. That’s a different animal.”
Barkley’s comments implied Durant was a passenger on the Golden State Warriors dynasty, rather than a vital part of their success.
“If you ain’t driving the bus, don’t walk around talkin’ bout you a champion!”
Chuck sounds off on KD’s playoff performance. pic.twitter.com/NSULRff4nD
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) April 24, 2022
Unsurprisingly, Durant took exception to the comments and responded on X, formerly called Twitter, writing,
“All this s**t is nasty, another terrible analogy from a hatin old head that can’t accept that we making more bread than them. It’s just timing Chucky, don’t hate the playa.”
Durant and Barkley don’t see eye-to-eye and likely won’t until the former MVP retires. They can be vicious or measured when they talk about each other, but it’s entertaining regardless of their tone.
