Kevin Durant has spoken. He says he is “not here to get into Twitter nonsense.” For the Rockets, that statement matters more than the tweet ever will.

The issue isn’t whether Durant uses Twitter. The issue is that nobody around the team can confidently say he wouldn’t. He already does that on a verified account followed by nearly 20 million people. That uncertainty is exactly why this situation won’t disappear inside a locker room.

Over NBA All-Star weekend, as Durant prepped for his 16th appearance, screenshots surfaced from an alleged burner account that quickly spread online. The account, which has since been locked to private, appeared in group chat screenshots where the user sounded eerily like Durant. Fans pointed out that it used a header photo matching one he once tweeted in 2021.

Now, owning a burner isn’t something new with Durant. The most persistent criticism of Durant has been how he handles himself off the court on social media. The behavior dates back to his championship years in Golden State. And although nothing has been confirmed yet, the Rockets now have to operate as if it could be real. This time, he allegedly aimed at Alperen Sengun, describing the 22-year-old franchise centerpiece as being unable to “shoot or defend.” Jabari Smith Jr. also caught some shots as well, ending with the word “retarded.”

While the possibility of doctored images or impersonation cannot be ruled out, players don’t need proof to start questioning a teammate. He is known for going back at fans even from his main social handle. Durant shot down the significance of the situation when he was asked by a reporter on Wednesday and said he’s only focused on the season. That answer addresses the internet, not a locker room, and teammates are unlikely to ignore it, especially when you consider Durant’s recent past.

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Durant Rejects Accountability + Houston Next Move

All in all, Durant’s career has repeatedly blurred the line between public and private frustration. Going back to his Nets tenure, while it isn’t entirely fair to blame the entire collapse on Durant, teammates in past stops have had to navigate public commentary surrounding him. When Kyrie Irving and James Harden clashed over the former’s refusal to get vaccinated, Durant got defensive, saying he wouldn’t “force somebody to get a vaccine” because that’s not his “thing.” And just earlier this season, when reflecting on his time in Phoenix, Durant claimed he was “scapegoated” and “kicked out of the Suns,” reinforcing a perception that conflict tends to follow him for yet another one of his Big Three’s crashing out. 

In every stop in his NBA career, there has been some sort of drama or controversy that always finds its way onto social media. Durant has clapped back at fans using a verified account and even openly admitted to having separate accounts to use so he can communicate with people he is close with. Even then, the former NBA MVP was caught red-handed when he apparently forgot to switch accounts before responding to a fan online. So when another burner rumor surfaced, players were always going to wonder if this time was real.

Maybe it’s become second nature for Durant to fall victim to social media. It kind of gives a raw and unique perspective on him, while most NBA stars work to stay away from hurting their image or brand. Although Durant may not care how all this impacts him, the party most affected in this recent development are the Rockets. Sitting at No. 4 seed in the West and eyeing a deeper playoff run this year, young teams depend on trust more than veteran contenders do, and it changes how players interpret every comment and every look.

A season ago, the Durant-less Rockets were the second-best in a loaded Western Conference. They were young and eyeing a future burgeoning with potential. There was no internal conflict. Suddenly, just a year later, their veteran superstar is on the wrong end of something massive. Just when Houston’s younger stars were banking on Durant’s experience and leadership, the burner accusations took over the internet. Even if this development gets shot down and proven wrong, it inevitably creates tension inside the Rockets. Smith Jr., Sengun, and the rest of the team are less likely to view Durant the same way because this story is just that messy.

While it may feel that this entire read was savage in its criticism of Durant, the pattern is difficult for a team to ignore that has appeared at multiple stops in his career. Durant is one of the rarest talents in NBA history; he helped revolutionize the sport with his ability to shoot at his size. But complicated leadership perception, combined with online behavior that carries into the locker room, has often limited his teams more than his talent ever has.

With two months remaining in the regular season, Durant has time to steer the team environment back to positivity. In the postseason, he now has to rebuild trust, not just produce points after last summer’s contract. If this season quickly spirals out of control, and another one of Durant’s teams are falls short of expectations, the question inside Houston will not be about talent but leadership. In the playoffs, opponents attack weaknesses. Right now, Houston’s biggest one isn’t defensive coverage. It’s doubt.