“Talking to Bob Too!”: Stephen A. Smith’s Kevin Durant Comment After Stephen Curry’s Game-Winner Leads to NBA Twitter Outrage

Things recently got very chippy on Twitter, after Stephen Curry hit a Hail Mary shot to bail out the Golden State Warriors from imminent defeat against the Phoenix Suns. Curry’s buzzer-beater with 0.7 seconds left on the clock in the fourth quarter helped the Dubs to a narrow 113-112 victory.

Meanwhile, ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith had some choice words for Stephen Curry’s former Golden State teammate Kevin Durant, who was on the receiving end of the defeat. Stephen A. brought up KD’s departure from the Warriors once again, saying, “When I saw what I saw with Steph Curry hitting that shot… I said to myself, ‘That’s who you elected to leave.’ And it makes me wonder if Kevin Durant will ever be a champion again because that guy [Steph] is no longer your teammate.”

This comment from Smith triggered a debate on the NBA Twitter space. Incidentally, Durant has failed to secure an NBA Championship following his departure from the Warriors in 2019. On the other hand, Curry led the Dubs to a Championship in 2022 without KD on the roster. This series of events have prompted many in the NBA community to question KD’s legacy as the leader of a Championship team.

But for many fans, the shot from Stephen A. wasn’t just directed at Kevin Durant, but also at former Warriors GM, Bob Myers. Myers, who was also a guest on the show, seemed to be receiving serious flak online, as a Twitter/X user ( @ warriorsworld) tweeted “Talking to Bob too”, in response to Stephen. A’s comments.

Another Twitter/X user( @flightchampagne), also seemed to agree with the statement made by @warriorsworld, as he tweeted out his reaction to the video, saying

“Wonder if Bob can subconsciously feel the needle Stephen A is giving him, too” 

But it wasn’t just Bob Myers who was getting roasted on Twitter/X, as Kevin Durant would once again receive backlash for leaving Curry and the Warriors, as Twitter/X user( @Tranqui47172614) boldly stated that,

“Durant leaving Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors is a sports decision that would be talked about till eternity.”

Durant joined the Warriors back in 2016 after losing to Curry and Co. in the Western Conference Finals in what was a very controversial decision at the time. KD and the Warriors would go on to dominate the Conference, winning two back-to-back titles during their run. But things would quickly turn sour after their Championship win in 2018, which would ultimately see KD departing from the team after playing just 3 seasons.

However, Smith’s comments should be taken with a grain of salt. The Phoenix Suns are currently sixth in a stacked Western Conference with a record of 31-22. On the other hand, the Warriors have struggled to maintain a .500 record this season. They are currently 10th in the West with a 25-25 record despite winning their last four games. So Stephen A.’s comments about KD leaving the Dubs would soon lose relevance if the Suns make a deep playoff run, which seems likely with their current form.

Why did Bob Myers get roasted?

The Warriors fan base is very ‘cultish’ in their approach, especially when it comes to Stephen Curry. The Dubs went through a tough time after Durant walked away. Now, Bob Myers, on the other hand, was the genius behind the Warriors’ original squad. Myers had drafted, built and recruited for the Warriors throughout their Championship runs, and it is undoubtedly weird to see him getting strung up by Warriors fans.

But the reasons for the same have become more and more obvious over time. Myers did leave Golden State during a sensitive time in their rebuild, leaving behind a roster that has been struggling this season( too many old players/injured players on expensive long-term contracts).

After leaving the front office, Myers was given the chance to voice his opinions on the Warriors squad, and the ex-GM, made a fatal flaw there. On being asked about Kevin Durant and the Warriors, Myers had the following to say, “He is unfairly criticised for what he did to the Warriors…Kevin Durant was the best player in every finals series featuring Lebron James and Steph Curry.”

What Myers said, isn’t factually wrong, but it did rub a lot of Golden State and LeBron fans the wrong way. One Twitter/X user( @JeffVan GundysB1) tweeted out

“There is not a single objective measurement that can be used that says KD has ever been better in the playoffs than LeBron.

While another Twitter/X user( @30_dynasty), commented on Myers’s statement saying

“Don’t mind at all but he ain’t got a chip without Steph that’s the problem”

From the looks of it, the media and most fans truly believe that Durant still has more to prove, as he has failed to win a chip without Curry.