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KD said some strong words about Charles Barkley in his latest Boardroom podcast. The NBA star dunked on the analyst by calling his style “corny” and “opinionated.”
Durant’s comments are now making their way around social media, causing many in the basketball community to react.
While KD, who now plays for Barkley’s old franchise, says he respects the Hall of Famer as a player, he takes issue with his schtick on the air. Durant states that he believes the Inside the NBA co-host looks for the negative in players rather than focusing on the positive.
The Suns star has been the target of Barkley’s criticisms, most notably being called a “bus rider” due to his frequent switching of team affiliation. Durant just joined his fourth team since 2015, winning a pair of championships with the Warriors.
KD obviously took offense to the insinuation, among other things, and he called Barkley out on his approach Wednesday.
Here’s what he had to say in his segment, with a focus on that “bus rider” jab.
“Disrespecting my game is part of his storyline… Who even looks at the game that way? That’s how Charles Barkley looked at the game, and that’s probably why he didn’t get what he wanted [championships]. He thought it was all about being the “bus driver” when we’re all sitting on the bus together.
“I think he’s just mad opinionated, and feels as though that’s his job, to be mad opinionated in a negative way against players. I feel like he feels that the job requires him to nitpick and look at just the negative in players. I’m not saying you should only talk about the positive, either, but when you clearly show bias that you’re trying to take away from what these players have done, it just looks corny on his part.”
Fans were quick to comment on KD’s stance on Charles Barkley, posting reactions online.
One person wrote, “Respect Barkley, but the media changed him completely.” Someone else said, “I love everything he said here.”
This fan replied, “The conclusion is that Charles Barkley uses ‘being a leader’ as an excuse to be an a**hole and continues to do so.”
We’ve likely not heard the last of this rivalry. Durant will look to ride the Suns’ bus all the way to a championship this postseason.