Kevin Durant isn't playing nice anymore. Not on the court -- where even he had to admit he's a "bad mother f*****" -- and not to the media, who are increasingly annoying him.
Kevin Durant says the media ‘doesn’t really know s***’
The reigning MVP is done giving politically correct answers.
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
“You guys really don’t know s***,” Durant told reporters on Saturday of All-Star weekend.
Durant eventually echoed Marshawn Lynch, saying, “I’m only here talking to y’all because I have to.” He cited the hypocritical nature of the media, praising an athlete one day before skewering them the next.
The reigning MVP, who has missed 26 games due to injury and is fighting with his Oklahoma City Thunder teammates to make the playoffs, has shown more and more personality in recent years. His tear-filled, MVP acceptance speech proved just how much he cared about the game. He's prickly off the court; he doesn't care what anyone thinks.
As he’s matured, Durant has decided he’s not going to say what he’s expected to say. From Mayberry’s article:
“I’m 26 years old so I’m in my mid-20s, almost to 30. My first few years in the league I was just finding myself. I think most of the time I reacted based off of what everybody else wanted and how they viewed me as a person. And I’m just learning to be myself and not worry about what anybody says. I’m going to make mistakes. I just want to show kids out here that athletes, entertainers, whoever, so-called celebrities, we aren’t robots. We go through emotions. We go through feelings. And I’m just trying to express mine and trying to help people along the way. But I’m not going to sit here and tell you that I’m just this guy that got programmed to say the right stuff all the time and politically correct answers. I’m done with that. I’m just trying to be me and continue to grow as a man.”
The edgier Durant is as impressive as ever on the court. He's averaging 26 points, 6.6 rebounds and four assists per game, and the Thunder are finding their form. He and Russell Westbrook are clicking now that they're healthy. They've won five of six games and, at 28-25, are just a half game out of the eighth spot in the Western Conference playoffs.
But it hasn’t been an easy road. SB Nation’s Paul Flannery looked at the maturing Durant and how he’s handling the trying season with the Thunder while growing as a man in the Sunday Shootaround.
While Durant may be crankier in press conferences, the soft side of the MVP acceptance speech is still there. “I love basketball. I love being out there in front of my teammates and playing in front of our crowd,” Durant told reporters on Saturday.
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