Kevin Durant didn’t have the best of days today. He and the Brooklyn Nets got knocked out in the first round of the playoffs. He had a performance which he would like to forget for the team. The 2-time champion looked absolutely distraught after the 4th game against the Boston Celtics.

Many fans have blamed him for the poor showing Brooklyn had in the first round, specifically for being their “franchise” player. He, Kyrie Irving, and the others couldn’t play properly despite the high expectations.

Now, Durant has pushed back against this notion of the “franchise” player controlling everything. “I feel like that’s a narrative that [media created]. I don’t even think LeBron does that,” Durant told Yahoo Sports.

“He might have input or know some information. But him saying [pointing left], ‘This is who you should get.’ [Points right.] ‘That’s who you should get,’ I don’t think it works like that.”

He continued saying, “I’ve been around Steph, he doesn’t work like that. Let people do their jobs. It’s not on me to overstep what they do. I’m just here to support. If they need me to text or call somebody that may come, of course.”

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He ended by saying, “I don’t want to know because I’m the ‘franchise player,’ it’s just the fact I want to know who my teammates are. It’s disrespectful for me to come and try to override what they do because of my status in the league. That’s not fair to them. Everybody has a career. I just want to know.”

Kevin Durant and the “franchise” player

Durant, LeBron James, and Steph Curry have been noted to be “franchise” players for their teams. Hence with that tag comes pressure and unrelenting criticism if you fail. All three of them have, at times, which has led to detractors circling around them like “vultures”.

James has been accused of overruling the front office for his own purposes. This includes deciding which players the Lakers will acquire this year. According to Durant, he may have some input but to put it all on him would be a big misunderstanding. James as a senior player will suggest players but won’t disregard the front office.

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Michael Jordan has also gone through the same process. Fans may not remember it but he also had his share of controversial moments as a “franchise” player for the Chicago Bulls.

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Is the “franchise” player misunderstood? Is it the fault of the media? Discuss it in the comments below.