Now with the Phoenix Suns, Kevin Durant’s villain reputation kind of precedes him at this point.
But it wasn’t always like that.
Durant was one a universally beloved and respected player among NBA fans during his days with the Oklahoma City Thunder, but that move to the Golden State Warriors changed everything.
It wasn’t the fact that KD joined a superteam that turned him into a villain; it was his response to criticism.
Instead of just ignoring the haters, Durant often engaged with them, even being exposed for using burner accounts to defend his legacy.
That has only gotten worse as the years go by, and it’s kind of crazy to think that one of the most famous, talented, and wealthy professional athletes has the time and energy to go back and forth with whoever dares to criticize him.
That’s why NBA insider Ric Bucher believes Durant needs to get married, as being in that kind of relationship will help him understand which battles to fight:
“Kevin Durant needs to get married,” Bucher said. “Kevin Durant needs a relationship that teaches him what you have to respond to and what to just let go. That, for me, is what marriage taught me.”
“Kevin Durant needs to get married.”@RicBucher reacts to Kevin Durant’s comments to his critics pic.twitter.com/E767vEiogd
— Speak (@SpeakOnFS1) March 2, 2023
While that’s a somewhat problematic analogy, Bucher’s got a point right there in one regard.
Durant doesn’t need to defend himself from every accusation; his game speaks for him.
He’s a future first-ballot Hall of Famer, one of the greatest scorers ever, and a multi-time NBA Champion and Finals MVP.
All that was earned, not given; it doesn’t matter if he played for the most dominant team in recent NBA history.
We shouldn’t even debate Durant’s legacy at this point, so he’s in every right to be presumptuous as a basketball player.
But getting down to the trolls’ level is just a bad look for such a grown man.
NEXT: The Suns Showed Fans An Elite NBA Lineup On Wednesday
