Fresh off winning his fourth Olympic gold medal, Phoenix Suns superstar forward Kevin Durant wittily issued a warning to his online haters.
Despite being a 14-time NBA All-Star, two-time NBA champion and one-time league MVP, Durant regularly engages with X/Twitter trolls. He has garnered a reputation for not shying away from sharing his true feelings, often resulting in viral extended disputes.
During a Saturday Fanatics Fest panel in New York City, former 13-year NBA veteran Jalen Rose asked Durant about his controversial habit.
“Why is it important for you to let them know that you have a voice and you will clap back?” Rose said.
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The four-time U.S. Olympic gold medalist highlighted how he always tries to maximize his social media experience, regardless of the outcome.
“Yeah, the whole point of having social media is to interact with people, right? So, you follow me for a chance to maybe interact with me,” Durant said.
“So, depending on how I feel, I’m gonna interact, and if you troll, I’mma troll back. If you show love, I’mma show love back. So, I try to reciprocate energy as much as possible to give people more of an in-depth experience of who I am,” he continued.
Thus, it appears fans and trolls can continue expecting to receive online responses from Durant and should remain ready to potentially engage in lengthy debates.
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Kevin Durant started online feud with fans morning after Team USA’s Olympic semifinal victory over Serbia
The most recent example of Kevin Durant engaging in an X/Twitter beef came during this summer’s Paris Olympics.
On Aug. 8, Team USA came back from a 17-point deficit to secure a 95-91 victory over Serbia in the men’s basketball tournament’s semifinals. The following morning, Durant seemingly took exception to American Denver Nuggets fans supporting their team’s superstar, Serbian center Nikola Jokic, over their home country.
“To all you Nuggets fans, nobody gives a f**k who y’all lames believe is the best player in the league,” Durant said. “Players got major respect for Jok, we don’t worship him like y’all do but most are in awe of his brilliance. Trolling you cornballs for rooting against us is a part of the game.”
Afterward, Durant called out basketball fans in general for fostering a culture of “hate and division” rather than appreciating the world’s top players.
“Let’s talk about the fan culture that’s been created recently,” Durant said. A lot of huge egos who believe they are the reason for the advancement of a sport. A LOT of idol worship, a lot of hate and division based on wins and losses and a lot of disrespect for the work being put in by these incredible athletes.”
Kevin Durant’s social media feud, which involved several fans, continued, quickly making headlines as the Americans prepared for their Aug. 10 gold-medal matchup against France. However, his comments seemingly didn’t distract his squad, as Team USA ultimately defeated the French 98-87, with Durant capturing his historic fourth gold medal.
With time off before the start of the 2024-25 NBA season, Durant should have a chance to take a break from engaging with his haters. However, based on his track record, if a particular comment rubs him the wrong way, he’ll probably find time to respond.
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