Suns star Kevin Durant's 'clown' comment draws fiery Stephen A. Smith response

Yesterday at 12:47 PM

The back-and-forth between Stephen A. Smith and Phoenix Suns superstar Kevin Durant continued Monday morning on ESPN’s First Take. After Durant clapped back at Smith for criticizing his leadership, calling him a “clown” in a postgame interview with The Athletic’s Suns writer Doug Haller before Smith teased Sunday, a complete reply was on the way first thing in the morning and didn’t disappoint.

Stephen A addressed Durant’s remarks, stemming from Durant questioning Smith’s credibility as an NBA reporter who’s often in a television studio instead of attending practices and postgame scrums in the locker room.

“I got bad news for Kevin Durant: If you’re expecting me to reciprocate with that kind of pettiness and childishness, it’s not gonna happen,” Smith said. “Kevin Durant’s one of the greatest players to have ever played this game. He’s a future Hall of Famer, he’s a two-time champion, a two-time Finals MVP, and I’ve been on the record saying he’s also a good dude,” Smith started before getting to the nitty gritty.

Still, after Durant claimed he’s never seen Smith in the mix at team shootarounds or postgame interviews, Smith remained calm in retort.

“Kevin Durant, could you stop lying, please? I’ve been an NBA reporter, and I was a columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer as well. Kevin Durant had seen me in a locker room when he was at Oklahoma City. He had seen me in the locker room when he was at Golden State. He has certainly seen me at games throughout his career,” Smith added. “But, unfortunately for him, I don’t have to be at shootaround, and I don’t have to be in the postgame locker room. I happen to have a hit show that’s been No. 1 for ten years. I have other things to do with my time. I go to games all the time.”

"I got bad news for Kevin Durant: If you're expecting me to reciprocate with that kind of pettiness & childishness, it's not gonna happen… Could you stop lying please? … Who's allowed to talk about him?"

Stephen A. Smith on KD calling him a 'clown'pic.twitter.com/TolPw4BQJv

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) November 4, 2024

Stephen A Smith asks Kevin Durant who’s allowed to talk about him

Stephen A Smith responded to Kevin Durant’s ‘clown’ accusation, but it didn’t stop there. Smith continued to put the Suns superstar, Durant, in his place as a 14-time All-Star unwilling to accept criticism.

“Kevin Durant is going to have to answer this question: who’s allowed to talk about him? Charles Barkley played this same game as a Hall of Famer. He got at Charles Barkley,” Smith said. “Shannon Sharpe is a Super Bowl champion, a three-time Super Bowl champion, and a Hall of Famer; he got at Shannon.

“He’s gotten at players, the CJ McCollums of the world, the Dennis Schroders of the world, and others. He’s gotten at fans and, oh, by the way, did it indiscreetly because he had accounts that didn’t reveal who he was.”

NBA fans will never forget Durant’s burner accounts on X, formerly Twitter. If they had forgotten about Suns star Kevin Durant’s reaction to Hall of Fame analysts, Stephen A Smith reminded them on Monday.

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