Kevin Durant on Friday spoke with the media for the first time since he suffered a calf injury in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals, and he shared some of his thoughts on the talk of the Golden State Warriors being better off without him.
The Warriors swept the Portland Trail Blazers and have not lost a game since Durant went down, but he told reporters the assertion that the team is better when he sits is simply “not true.”
Kevin Durant knocks down the talking point that the Warriors have been better without him pic.twitter.com/znTPfc3aTS
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) May 24, 2019
“As a player, I think about that and I’m just like, it’s not true,” Durant said. “That’s not facts when it comes to a basketball perspective. The competitive side of me, I also like to talk basketball as well. So if you’re gonna say something like that, I’m gonna engage in it.”
Durant was likely referring to the way he fired back at a fan on social media after the Warriors took a 3-0 series lead over Portland. Durant has never been shy about engaging with fans on social media, but in this case he snapped at someone who was simply noting how some people doubted that Golden State could still win without Durant.
As for why he engages with fans so often, Durant said he is “qualified” to do so.
Why does Kevin Durant use social media to join the conversation about himself? “I’m qualified.” His full answer. pic.twitter.com/xFPntIrw4t
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) May 24, 2019
All of this is further proof of why people consider Durant to be so sensitive — even him denying that the Warriors are better without him. If he was comfortable enough to know what he can provide on the court and know how important he is to the team, he’d be fine just ignoring questions like that. Durant has never really operated that way, so he probably isn’t going to start now.
