Dennis Schroder Has No Right to Attack Kevin Durant, Says Stephen A. Smith

Following the US Men’s Basketball Team’s gold medal win at the Paris Olympics, Kevin Durant took a subtle jab at Dennis Schroder on social media. He posted a picture of Team USA posing with the gold medal and captioned it, “Entertainment and IQ.” He was mocking the guard for saying European basketball was all about high-IQ plays with no entertainment after Germany’s loss in the bronze medal match.

Schroder took exception to Durant’s jibe and attacked the Suns’ superstar during a Twitch stream. The Nets star said,

“For me, [Kevin Durant’s post is him] just being weak. You’re that type of a star and say something to a person like me, who not even meant it to be negative, It was just what I see from both sides… To say that tells me how weak he is as a person, you know what I’m saying? … It is what it is. Not everybody is strong, not everybody is in a good place.”

The veteran guard’s strong rebuttal did not sit well with Stephen A. Smith. The analyst called Schroder out on First Take and claimed his comments about Durant were vile. He listed the forward’s accomplishments and told the Nets star to show some respect for one of the game’s greats. During his passionate rant, Smith said,

“You attacked [Durant]s] manhood. You’re talking about he’s weak, how dare you say something like that about Kevin Durant? We’ve got to put respect on this brother’s name. Again, if he deserves criticism here and there, I’ll give it to him… Dennis Schroder, you can’t shine Kevin Durant’s shoes.”

.@stephenasmith reacts to Dennis Schröder calling Kevin Durant "weak."

"How dare you say something like that about Kevin Durant?" pic.twitter.com/yXfFdJqECq

— First Take (@FirstTake) August 20, 2024

 

Smith added that as Schroder argued that his comment about European basketball’s high IQ play wasn’t meant as a jibe at NBA basketball, likewise Durant was stating that Team USA’s philosophy was to entertain while also playing intelligently on the court.

The analyst claimed that the guard shouldn’t have taken exception to the forward’s comment if he didn’t mean any harm with his initial take. While Smith was astonished about Schroder’s vicious attack on Durant, Shannon Sharpe expressed his disbelief about other players letting the Nets star’s comment slide.

Shannon Sharpe bashes Dennis Schroder for his “weak” comment

On an episode of the Nightcap podcast, the Pro Football Hall of Famer dismissed Schroder’s opinion that the NBA prioritized entertainment over high IQ. He also noted that Schroder suggesting European players did not value entertainment should have led to more stars calling out the guard for his comments. Sharpe said,

“To say, you guys are high IQ and not entertaining, and [the NBA] is entertaining and not [high] basketball IQ. I’m surprised more guys didn’t respond [to Schroder’s comment]. You’re entitled to your opinion, but you can’t be upset if somebody gives you their opinion back.”

Schroder’s initial comment was off the mark. However, his follow-up attack on Durant was completely unnecessary.