Kevin Durant has earned a reputation for being somewhat peculiar, different from most other NBA personalities, and Skip Bayless is someone who wholeheartedly agrees. He recently highlighted Durant’s unique approach to dealing with the media, a habit that dates back to his days with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
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The 2011–12 OKC team featured one of the best trios in NBA history. Durant, along with Russell Westbrook and James Harden, led a formidable roster that made it to the Finals. But there was something that perturbed Bayless whenever he watched them take to the court.
He didn’t like how many more shots Westbrook was taking compared to Durant. It bothered him so much that he went on First Take one day to openly criticize Westbrook for it. “How can Russell Westbrook, who can’t really shoot, take more shots than Kevin bleeping Durant?” Bayless asked.
In hindsight, it wasn’t a bad question. Westbrook, playing as the second option, ended up averaging as many shot attempts per game as Durant but shot just 31%, despite taking two more attempts per game than the previous season.
After the Thunder reached the Finals, however, Durant somewhat harshly rubbed the team’s success in Bayless’s face.
“Skip Bayless doesn’t know sh*t about basketball,” Durant had said.
For the future Hall of Famer, it must’ve felt nice getting back at the man who attacked his teammate. But the comments hurt Bayless’s feelings. He couldn’t believe that a player he had propped up so much in the past was coming after him in public.
It was the first time Bayless started to realize how weird Durant was toward him and other media members in general. But not the last. Fast forward two years, and at the NBA All-Star Game, and Skip noticed more foul play from KD.
Kevin Durant doesn’t like the media much — and he makes it known
“2014, then the following year at the All-Star game, remember this? The media gathered… Big press conference, and Kevin Durant told the reporters who voted him MVP, ‘You guys don’t know sh*t about basketball.’ Huh? Come on, man. Just no perspective. No step back wisdom. Just didn’t get it! What a weird dude Kevin Durant turned out to be. So gifted, so weird.” Bayless stated on his podcast.
The ex-Warriors star has certainly had his fair share of controversial media moments throughout his career. On the surface, he seems like a chill guy who loves basketball, but at the same time, he’s been rather testy with journalists—a trait he’s carried over into his social media presence, where he openly calls out those sharing opinions on the NBA.
Kevin Durant’s responses have always been more reactionary than the PR-friendly, measured answers we usually hear from most players.
Bayless and Durant’s relationship, however, has been strained ever since. Durant is known to hold grudges, and his issues with the analyst are no exception. Ironically, Durant’s relationship with Russ—the very teammate he once defended—also worsened over the years, especially after his controversial departure to Golden State in 2016.
