Imago
Image Credits: Imago
Imago
Image Credits: Imago
While Kevin Durant has enjoyed significant praise for his otherworldly skill sets and talent, he has also been criticized for being a “follower” on several occasions. One analyst who has regularly questioned Durant’s ability to lead is Charles Barkley. During the second half of this year’s NBA All-Star game, he once again fired some shots at the Phoenix Suns star, claiming that Durant has always proven in all stops of his career that he is not a “leader.” Therefore, if the Suns are to win a title, they will need Devin Booker to step up and fill the shoes of a leader.
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Charles Barkley on who should be the #Suns leader:
"I really wanted it to be KD, but he's not doing it. To me it's gotta be Booker … No disrespect to Kevin. Kevin's a follower. He's not a leader. He's proven that on all of his stops.”
pic.twitter.com/OuSEHbpjyp— Burn City Suns Talk 🎙️ (@BurnCitySuns) February 19, 2024
True to his nature, KD did not let his comments slide. During a recent interview with Boardroom Cover Story, Durant clapped back at the criticism hurled his way, stating that his efforts go unnoticed since the media does not know what goes on behind the scenes. Moreover, he emphasized that he is overlooked because he is not as “charismatic” as his peers. He doubled down on these sentiments during a conversation with Duane Rankin of AZ Central when he said, “I don’t respect your opinion if you’re not in the gym with me.”
"It's just part of TV. They needed something to fill a segment up. So they talk about some negative shit, but if you're not in the gym, I don't respect your opinion if you're not in the gym with me."
Kevin Durant on Charles Barkley's "follower" comments on leadership. #Suns pic.twitter.com/9TdI5uZAms
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) February 21, 2024
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However, while KD has been standing on business, Shannon Sharpe called out his hypocrisy during a recent segment of Nightcap. He pointed out that it was KD himself who started this narrative, so now he should not be upset about people questioning his leadership. Interestingly, when KD moved to Golden State, he admitted that he was not a leader and was just here to hoop. “You can’t have it both ways, Kev. You can’t say one thing and when people say what you told them that you are not, get upset when people say that,” said Shay.
However, Durant’s most ardent supporter cleared the air on what he meant when he said he was not the leader.
Gilbert Arenas defends Kevin Durant
According to Gilbert Arenas, the only reason The Slim Reaper backed down from the leadership position was because when he came to the Bay, Stephen Curry was already leading the team. Revealing a player’s mindset when trying to fit in with a new team, Arenas said, “When you are coming from one team to another, you are giving them the respect. Whoever the leaders are, they are the leaders, I’m just here as a player. I’m not trying to step on nobody’s toes.”
The ex-Warriors star also added that contrary to what KD said, he was the man behind the wheel during his stint with the Warriors. This is also the reason KD and Draymond Green did not see eye-to-eye. Explaining KD’s comments, Arenas stated, “I don’t want you to say I’m not a leader because you don’t know what I’m doing. You don’t know I show up early, I leave late, I prep talk, I train players, I workout with players. We don’t know everything he does. So, he is like, ‘I’m a leader, but I might not be like a leader’. It’s the confliction of the player’s personality itself.”
Written by
Edited by
Anuj Jacob