Kevin Durant and Stephen A. Smith are engaged in a full-fledged beef. The two exchanged some choice words after the analyst made crude remarks about the Suns superstar, which did not sit well with the two-time NBA champion. Shaquille O’Neal, who never shies away from speaking his mind and giving his unsolicited opinion on any subject, has weighed in on the skirmish and threw his support behind the veteran forward.
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On the latest episode of the Big Podcast with Shaq, the four-time NBA champion claimed he empathized with Durant and explained why he understood his conundrum better than anyone. The Lakers icon said,
“Kevin Durant is probably similar to my situation. When we’ve been there and done that give us our respect that’s all we want. Y’all question how he did it. Don’t matter, he did it, he’s one of the greatest. Give him his respect.”
The feud commenced after Smith played down the Suns’ odds of winning the title, citing Durant’s inability to be a good leader as the main reason. The superstar forward wasted no time in responding on X and claimed he disagreed with the analyst.
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
While he was civil on social media, he went on the offensive during a post-game interview with The Athletic, saying,
“Yeah, Stephen A., I don’t understand how people even listen to Stephen A. I’ve never seen him anywhere but on TV talking s— about players. … He’s a clown to me. He’s always been a clown.”
Unsurprisingly, Smith did not let that comment slide and reminded Durant that his claim that he does not respect his opinion is bogus. During a lengthy rant on The Stephen A. Smith Show, he said,
“I’m a clown? Is that why your team called me to be a part of your documentary?”
While some believe the two-time Finals MVP’s response came off as defensive, O’Neal believes he reserves the right to dismiss reductive opinions about his ability as a player and a leader. He said,
“I think he likes honesty. Like if you say okay he shot 2-19, he had a bad game, he can live with that. But don’t say ‘oh, he’s not one of the top shooters.’”
The Lakers icon being in Durant’s corner is slightly surprising considering the two have butted heads in the past. The Suns superstar once called out O’Neal’s basketball knowledge, while the Hall of Famer labeled the 14-time All-Star a ‘bus rider‘ and not a ‘bus driver,’ implying he can win titles when the circumstances favor him but cannot drag his teams to win, unlike other greats.
Smith’s take was so diabolical that it got two icons who didn’t see eye-to-eye on the same page.
