Now, you didn’t expect Stephen A Smith to stay quiet about this did you? I know most of us hoped he wouldn’t respond but he couldn’t help himself. Stephen A heard KD called him a liar and went off on Durant for his remarks.
@IamJoeSports
In case you missed it, while responding to questions about Stephen A saying KD wanted to go to the Lakers if he left OKC, Durant said:
Durant: “I don’t talk to Stephen A Smith at all. Nobody in my family, my friends, they don’t talk to Stephen A Smith. So he’s lying.”
What’s the best way to attack those because I know you’re not naive to think these won’t be popping up throughout the year?
Durant: “If you ask me a question, I’ll talk about them. But like I said before, I have people who I talk to about everything and I know for a fact they didn’t talk to him, so he’s making up stories.”
Stephen A wasted no time responding on twitter because of course he would:
Regarding @KDTrey5 and his negative comments about me, let me say this: At NO time did I ever say I SPOKE to K.D. Or his family. Or his brother, friends, teammates, etc. (although I can assure you all I have on several occasions in the past). I said I HEARD from folks I know — in a league I’ve been covering for 19 years — that if he were to leave OKC as a free agent, these are the cities I was told he was considering. OKC. LA. Miami. DC. NY. I stand by it all. And that is that.
His assertion that I was lying is not only FALSE, but totally uncalled for. Especially from a player who receives nothing but praise not only from me, but from practically every media member you can find. Yet, for some reason, we’re all the same folks who don’t know *&%$ about the game of basketball. Whose thoughts he could give a &^%$ about. Essentially, individuals he wishes he’d never have to talk to…..that he’s being forced to tolerate…..as if someone has done something to him…..OF ALL PEOPLE!
Don’t know what has happened to Mr. Durant over the years. But I know this much: We all win with his return, because he is an absolute superstar. The NBA is better with him. We’re all at a loss without him.
It just appears that @KDTrey5 needs to learn something about today’s world in professional sports:
We don’t have to talk TO HIM to talk ABOUT HIM!Folks like ME will still be here. Watching! Listening! Waiting! Reporting!
Whether he likes it or not. While he’s here and long after he’s gone.
Time to get use to it.
Stephen A can get in his feelings all he wants but he is still wrong. Since both KD & Smith acknowledged that he hasn’t talked to anyone close to KD, then Smith should not be taking any “reports” seriously from his “sources”. It was irresponsible of him to report that knowing it wasn’t coming from anyone close to KD or his camp.
We all know this coming Monday, Stephen A is going to spend a chunk of time on First Take still addressing this when by then nobody will care. Reports are able to hide behind “sources” too often and it’s not right that they get upset when an athlete calls them out for a b.s. report!
