Lebron James Lebron James and Kevin Durant Beef

Kevin Durant is back at information technology: Making headlines for speaking non so kindly most other NBA players and the uppercase M Media. This week, the target of his criticism was LeBron James and the "fanboys" (reporters) who cover him. The quotes came from a Bleacher Report commodity past Ric Bucher, in which Bucher explored what he sees every bit a trend of players non wanting to join a team with LeBron on it. A fair corporeality of players went on the record both supporting and debunking Bucher'due south theory, but it's what Durant said that has really greased the wheels of the news bike.

This is because Durant, per usual, said more than most athletes. He leveled a accuse at LeBron, saying that immature players on the superstar'south squad end up changing their way of play to be on the same court. But it's not what Durant said near the actual basketball that's got so many people talking. It's what he said about the environment surrounding LeBron.

"So much hype comes from existence around LeBron from other people," Durant said. "He has so many fanboys in the media. Even the vanquish writers merely fawn over him. I'm like, we're playing basketball here, and it's non even nigh basketball at certain points. And so I go why anyone wouldn't want to be in that environment because information technology'due south toxic. Particularly when the attention is bullshit attending, fluff. Information technology'southward non LeBron's fault at all; it'southward just the fact you have so many groupies in the media that love to hang on every give-and-take. Merely get out of the way and let usa play basketball game."

TRAINA: Popovich Gave Vintage Answer to LeBron Question

LeBron declined to annotate on Durant'southward statements, saying that he didn't have the necessary context, so he wouldn't chime in because "That would be stupid on my part. I'm a veteran."

Look: I like that Durant said what he really thinks. Last week I wrote a defense of Baker Mayfield, arguing that athletes who requite opinions the media or public don't agree with are trashed, while those who evade questions with PR word salad are held up as boring. It's often a lose-lose. Durant is but speaking what he thinks is the truth. You don't accept to agree with him.

Scroll to Continue

SI Recommends

Information technology's besides worth noting that Durant wasn't necessarily incorrect. LeBron does have a lot of people in the media who don't really question him (Durant isn't totally right most coverage, of course. Bucher's commodity itself was somewhat critical). While this could partly be because in that location'southward not much to question—he's a great basketball actor!—there's also not actually whatever signal in a beat writer trying to get some data from LeBron that he hasn't given to a media fellow member with whom he has a longstanding, trusted relationship.

Chris Elise/Getty Images

LeBron is and then larger than life that he wouldn't ever have to requite a quote over again and he'd still boss the news. He is the news at this point. Literally. He his ain media company chosen Uninterrupted, where he'southward never interrupted when he chooses to tell his own story and those of other athletes.

Quotes like the ones Durant gave this calendar week, on the other manus, feed the narrative that Durant needs enemies to flourish. Whether it'south his own teammates, random people on twitter, or his former teammates, he makes the most headlines when he fires shots out from his corner of the Internet or printing conference. I observe it endlessly entertaining. And at the end of the solar day, kind of refreshing? If you don't desire to know what athletes honestly believe about a situation, or at to the lowest degree what they desire you to believe they believe, don't ask them.

But I call back this took off so much because what Durant said did read as, well, a little sad and a lot jealous. He was so fervent about not liking fanboys that it seemed every bit though he wanted some. A classic, "That daughter gets all the guys. I don't even want guys. Guys are the worst. Stay away from me, guys!" Maybe if Durant felt that he had fanboys, if he projected more charisma, he wouldn't heed others' "groupies" then much. Only in that location are very few people in the media, or in fanbases, who experience the same fashion about Durant as they do about LeBron.

Durant is...well, I was going to say he'southward a pro at petty, seeing equally he's famously created burner accounts to clap back at people online with, like, 30 followers who say he shouldn't have joined the Warriors. The problem is, he'south not a pro: he messed up when using Twitter and gave himself away. Simply even if he'southward not e'er very expert at the execution, his petty impulses are very stiff. Take his best friendship with Russell Westbrook: they famously had the falling out of the century when Durant left Oklahoma City. I don't know if Durant loves drama, only he's certainly involved often enough and starts information technology frequently plenty that yous have to remember he probably finds some pleasure in doing so. Even with his own teammates—recollect when Draymond Light-green called him a b---h a few weeks ago? This guy tin't seem to escape the constant, incredibly compelling stream of beefiness in the NBA. And he doesn't seem to want to.

NBA players as a whole are more than likely to give the globe juicy quotes than athletes in other leagues—it's a league where guys take, more and more than, embraced the beauty of nothingness. Many use the media and their own social media to fight their battles for them, and sports media thrives on this. Durant track against the media and, in the process, feeds us. It's very meta and not the worst idea actually in terms of getting coverage. Simply it'south a tactic that many athletes attempt to avoid these days, considering of what follows: articles similar this i.

longearon1967.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.si.com/nba/2018/12/06/kevin-durant-lebron-james-russell-westbrook-lakers-warriors-fanboys

Share this post