“Twitter Nerds Don’t Count”: Kevin Durant Flexes His Worldwide Following, Claps Back at Analyst Over Rockets Fan Narrative

Kevin Durant has never really been divisive because of how good he is. Everyone, including his critics, would agree that he is one of the greatest scorers ever. The divide comes from how people feel about him, and that mostly traces back to how he carries himself, particularly on social media, something he recently gloated about during an argument with a fan and journalist.

Following Durant’s game winner over the Phoenix Suns, a fan decided to take a shot at him, as they often do. The fan berated Durant for beating his former side, a team he “left in worse shape than when he arrived,” something many in Arizona would agree with, especially after the Suns missed out on the 2024–25 playoffs despite KD’s strong individual numbers.

This drew Bleacher Report beat writer Andy Bailey into the conversation. Bailey responded to the fan by wondering whether reactions like these might be what ultimately make Rockets fans embrace Durant, as a way of showing him how much he means to the franchise. Durant then got involved himself, firing back at Bailey with a comment on his star power and how little he truly cares about trolls on social media.

“I’m connected around the world lil homie. Twitter nerds don’t count, they don’t leave the basement,” wrote KD, probably with a big smile on his face. It’s not the first time that he’s taken time out of his life to shut down basement dwellers, and it probably won’t be the last. 

And while this might just be a simple X (Twitter) reaction, there’s no denying that the Houston fanbase has already accepted Durant as one of their own. Prior to the year beginning, KD did an interview where he admitted that a fanbase can turn on you quickly unless you produce results.

“Yeah, they [are] happy now, we’ll see, we’ll see how it goes when we start playing,” stated Durant. “You know how it is. But yeah, I’m excited, new opportunity, always good to keep playing. I love playing ball, so to keep playing in my 18th — going 19th year in the league is sweet.”

This is just who Durant is, for better or worse. He’s never been the type to mute the noise and let everything slide, and honestly that edge is part of what’s kept him great for nearly two decades. You can roll your eyes at the tweets or call it unnecessary, but it’s hard to argue with a guy who’s still dropping daggers and loving the game in Year 19.

If fans want to keep poking the bear, KD has shown he’s more than happy to poke right back, and judging by the way Houston has embraced him, that unapologetic version of Durant might fit just fine.