LAS VEGAS– Ever since Kevin Durant left Oklahoma City to join the Golden State Warriors two years ago to create a potential NBA dynasty, he has been embroiled in controversy.
The latest backlash comes from Portland Trail Blazers’ guard C.J. McCollum, who recently had Durant, who was supposedly a friend, on his podcast “Pull Up with CJ McCollum.” Durant relentlessly made fun of McCollum’s team, laughing at them and saying they’ll never win a championship and the two laughed when McCollum said he didn’t want to see (center) DeMarcus Cousins join Golden State as a free agent this off season.
But afterwards, McCollum poked back on social media, calling Durant’s decision to take the easy road to a ring by playing with a stacked team, “soft.’’
“I still don’t think the b word is harsh shouldn’t be used,’’ McCollum tweeted. “But he knows his decision was soft and I respect that. It’s like getting jumped with your brothers by a gang then leaving your brothers for that same gang.’’
As you can imagine, the image conscious Durant, who does not like to be called out by anyone, was not that pleased with having to defend his decision again and went off on a mini-Twitter rant.
“You think that low of me CJ?’’ he said yesterday after the first day of USA Basketball’s two-day pre-Olympic mini-camp at UNLV for selected candidates for the 2020 Olympics. “I just did your freaking podcast. Snakes in the grass, I tell ya.’’ He punctuated his exchanged with a laughing emoji.
Just another day in the NBA, where social media is the weapon of choice.
Yesterday Durant played down his latest riff, saying he and McCollum would get together in New York to drink some wine once McCollum returns from China. But he made it clear he will fiercely defend his reputation. “I say something back and I’m the sensitive one?’’ Durant said in a back and forth with the media. “I mean, I know you’re all trying to make me look crazy and strip me of my credibility. I see what you’re doing. But I’m going to keep standing.’’
Durant is upset everybody else can take pot shots at will. But if Durant says something, it becomes a media sensation, with him in the villain’s role. “I got about my business,’’ the nine-time NBA All Star and Finals MVP said. “but every time I say something, House of Highlights and Bleacher Report run with it—Everybody runs with it.
“I just talk. I say how I feel. But I guess I’m the bad guy.’’
McCollum is on the preliminary Team USA roster but was among the nine players who chose not to participate in the two-hour workout. Many of Durant’s teammates chose to miss the camp, too. Stephen Curry announced last month he wanted to spend time with his family. Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, who both played for the U.S. in the 2016 Olympics, also chose not to attend.
This was Team USA’s first practice under Gregg Popovich, the highly respected coach of the San Antonio who replaced Mike Krzyzewski as head coach of the men’s senior national team. “It feels like the same atmosphere, the same energy here,’’ Durant said. “They preach the same thing, that we’re playing for something bigger than ourselves.’’
Durant was the star of the 2016 Olympics when Team USA won a gold medal in Rio. He is not likely to play for the U.S. national team if they qualify for the 1919 World Cup in China, but he should be Team USA’s best player again when the U.S. plays in the 2020 Olympics in Japan, although there is a possibility Lebron James, who will be 35, could decide to make a final curtain call on the international stage.
From here, it looks like there is a huge gap between the U.S. and the rest of the world. The international teams are constantly improving, but the Americans won in Rio with a second-tier team, without James, Stephen Curry, James Harden or Russell Westbrook. And, given the fact the Warriors had four players—Durant, Cousins, Thompson and Green—on the 2016 Olympic team, the Warriors as a team could be the favorite to win a gold medal in Tokyo with a healthy Curry.
