Charles Barkley has criticized Kevin Durant on numerous occasions in recent years, and the Houston Rockets star capitalized on another opportunity to respond in the latest season of “Starting 5” on Netflix.
The second season of “Starting 5” was released on Thursday. One of the scenes features Durant being asked about Barkley calling him a “bus rider.” Barkley made the comment in 2022 while arguing that Durant is only capable of winning an NBA championship when he is along for the ride, which is what Charles feels happened with the Golden State Warriors in 2017 and 2018.
Durant argued that he played every role that was needed for those Warriors championship teams.
“I done rode the bus. I done filled the gas tank up. I was the gas. I was the wheels, the axle, the brakes, all given different parts. I was in the back of the bus. I played every role for that team,” Durant said.
Durant then had some harsh criticism for Barkley and called the Hall of Famer selfish.
“Yeah, we could talk in these metaphors all we want. I got a lot of them. He never knew what it’s like to remove your ego so you can go out there and help a city, a town win a championship,” Durant said. “It was all about him — his whole life, his whole career. His whole life is all about how he feel, how he wanna talk, how he can say anything to anybody ’cause, ‘I’m Charles Barkley. I can say whatever.'”
“I done rode the bus, I done filled the gas tank up, I was the gas, I was the wheels, the axle, the brakes, all different given parts.”
— Netflix Sports (@netflixsports) October 16, 2025
Kevin Durant responding to Charles Barkley’s bus driver comments 😯
Starting 5 Season 2 is now playing. pic.twitter.com/LoyvPaj9Vv
Barkley made the comments when Durant and the Brooklyn Nets were falling apart. His argument was one that many people have made, which is that Durant joined an already established championship team and has not been able to carry a franchise to a championship.
While Barkley has been consistent with his hatred of superteams, he also loves criticizing Durant. The two have traded shots more times than we can count over the years.
