There is no love lost between Kevin Durant and prominent national sports analysts.
Wednesday’s airing of First Take saw famed commentator Stephen A. Smith make the claim that basketball icon Michael Jordan had “changed the game of basketball for the worse.”
The comment was made during a segment questioning if Warriors guard, Steph Curry, had a positive impact on the future of the game in light of Golden State’s sixth NBA Finals appearance in eight seasons.
In typical Durant fashion, the former Warrior and current leading man of the Brooklyn Nets took to Twitter to respond to Stephen A.’s comments.
“My theory is that guys like Steve, Skip and Shannon have changed the game for the worse,” Durant wrote. “Playas like Stephen and Michael can only push the game forward.”
Durant also referenced Shannon Sharpe and Skip Bayless, co-hosts of FS1’s debate show, Undisputed.
Stephen A. wasn’t going to let Durant have his day in the sun alone, though.
In a tweet back to the superstar, Smith quote tweeted Durant’s original comment saying “You’re certainly entitled to your opinion. Love both MJ and Steph. Was only alluding to MJ being so great, it enticed folks to focus on individuality instead of team. Nothing more. As for us changing the game for the worse, we disagree…”
In a second quote tweet, Smith was far more abrasive saying “We ain’t going any damn place. For every Stephen A., Skip, Shannon, and others, there’s thousands more coming down the pike. We’re not going away. We multiply. Sorry!!!!”
Durant was quick to have a comeback using a video clip from a First Take episode in which Smith laughed saying “We don’t care”.
First Take hasn’t been the only studio show that has responded to Durant’s tweet. On Undisputed, Bayless and Sharpe have routinely butted heads over Durant’s social media presence.
In a 2021 tweet, Bayless went so far as to say “Kevin Durant is the Best Player on the Planet. But when it comes to dealing with the media & social media, he has a screw loose. He’s the thinnest-skinned superstar ever.
The Kevin Durant – Stephen A. Smith Feud History
While Durant and the Undisputed hosts have gone back and forth on Twitter in recent years, the feud between Stephen A. Smith and the former league MVP goes much further back.
In response to comments made by Durant about his pending free agency in 2015, Stephen A. said on First Take “You don’t want to make an enemy out of me.”
Stephen A. had originally reported that Durant was going to be signing with the Los Angeles Lakers that offseason.
Durant later responded saying “I don’t talk to Stephen A. Smith at all. Nobody in my family, my friends, they don’t talk to Stephen A. Smith. So he’s lying.”
While the Durant, Undisputed, Stephen A. Smith feud doesn’t seem to be lightening up anytime soon, the comments by Durant were made in a way to honor both Steph Curry and Michael Jordan.
Curry and the Warriors tip-off Game 1 of the NBA Finals tonight against the Boston Celtics.
For more coverage of the 2022 NBA Finals, visit amNY Sports
