Gilbert Arenas Slams Stephen A. Smith For Making ‘Baseless Claim’ About Kevin Durant

Kevin Durant and Stephen A. Smith are engaged in a war of words after the Suns superstar called him out in a post-game interview. The analyst responded by claiming he wouldn’t fire any personal attacks before criticizing Durant’s leadership. Smith’s comment did not sit well with Gilbert Arenas, who lashed out at the analyst.

On the Gil’s Arena podcast, the retired star called out Smith for making baseless accusations, saying,

“Who the f**k are you to decide that? You’ve never been in this locker room. You’ve never been in the practice. You’ve never seen me work out. What are you judging it off of?”

Arenas argued that for Smith to judge Durant’s leadership skills, he needed to be in the Suns’ practice and be around the team. He labeled the claims as baseless and called it a “problem.” While the two-time Finals MVP would appreciate the retired Wizards star defending him, he did not wait long to respond.

Durant shared his reaction

Durant first took to X to defend himself under a clip of Smith’s claim, and wrote, “I would disagree Stephen. I would argue, passionately, that my intangibles have always been on par with my talent.”

I would disagree stephen. I would argue, passionately, that my intangibles have always been on par with my talent

— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) October 24, 2024

That didn’t mark the last time that Durant spoke on the matter. In a conversation with the Athletic’s Doug Haller, Durant opened up about his feelings toward Smith. He said,

“I’ve never seen Stephen A. at a practice, or a film session, or a shoot-around. ‘ve never seen him anywhere but on TV talking s–t about players. … He’s a clown to me. He’s always been a clown. You can write that, too.”

Neither Durant nor Smith ever back down from a confrontation. Expect more fireworks and verbal attacks in the coming days.