After failing to win their third consecutive NBA championship title, the Golden State Warriors took another huge blow when they lost All-Star forward Kevin Durant in the 2019 NBA free agency. Despite the strong efforts from the Warriors to bring him back, Durant still decided to leave Golden State to play alongside Kyrie Irving on the Brooklyn Nets.
The departure of Kevin Durant has been filled with controversies with some people creating various speculations regarding the possible reasons why he left. In an appearance on ESPN’s First Take , which is currently posted on Twitter , Stephen A. Smith of ESPN floated the idea that Durant isn’t really fond of Warriors Head Coach Steve Kerr. Durant and Kerr seemed to be in good terms in their first two years of working together.
Aside from winning back-to-back NBA championship titles, Kevin Durant was also named Finals MVP twice in his first two seasons playing under Coach Steve Kerr. However, according to Yahoo Sports , Durant and Kerr were at odds and not always on the same page in their third and final season together. Durant’s deteriorating relationship could be a factor in his decision to part ways with the Warriors this summer.
The rumors about his relationship with Coach Steve Kerr have immediately reached Kevin Durant, and the two-time NBA champion didn’t waste time to address the issue. Smith revealed that Durant personally called him to say that his recent report about him and Kerr is “BS.”
“Kevin Durant reached out, said it’s BS what I’m saying, you know. I should check my sources, you understand. And that’s all he said,” Smith said, as quoted by New York Post .
“He did not elaborate, but I want to make sure I’m fair because I did emphasize that I did not speak to him.”
Is retiring Kevin Durant’s number in Golden State warranted? ?
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— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) July 2, 2019
Smith tried to defend the legitimacy of his report by telling Kevin Durant that the information came from multiple sources. Durant told Smith that his sources are nothing but liars.
“I’m gonna be fair to him because I genuinely like him — I’m gonna be fair anyway,” Smith said. “But the point is, he said it was BS, it’s not true what I’m saying, and I’m telling you I’ve been told this by numerous people.”
As of now, it remains unknown if Kevin Durant really called Stephen A. Smith regarding his recent report about him and Coach Steve Kerr. Since signing with the Brooklyn Nets, Durant has been noticeably quiet on social media. Aside from his relationship with Kerr, there are also speculations that his altercation with Draymond Green last season played a major role in his decision to leave the Warriors in the 2019 NBA free agency.