Getty Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr and forward Kevin Durant during a 2017 game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant and Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr will forever be linked to each other. The duo won two NBA titles during Durant’s three seasons in Golden State and KD was named the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player in both of those years.
Although Durant enjoyed a lot of success during his years with the Warriors it was arguably the most difficult period of his playing career. Many NBA fans had developed an unhealthy disdain for Durant after he left the Oklahoma City Thunder to join the Golden State Warriors, the team that had just beat them in the Western Conference Finals that year. Fans would voice their displeasure with KD, mainly on Twitter. But unlike most NBA stars KD would respond to those comments which often led to heated exchanges with fans.
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Kerr Tried to Stop Durant From Responding to Fans on Twitter
In Matt Sullivan’s new book Can’t Knock The Hustle, the author reveals that Kerr tried to get Durant to stop responding to fans on social media, using LeBron James’ decision to join the Miami Heat as an example of how to respond to criticism.
“Kerr began the lesson: “You know what I respect about LeBron? I respect that after he got to Miami, he got sick of the narratives. Sick of the haters. All the talk. So you know what he did?”
“What’s that?” KD asked. Kerr paused for impact.
“LeBron just said, F*** it. And then he was great again,” Sullivan wrote per a transcript obtained from NetsDaily.
“Same with Michael, with Kobe. All the greats. First, they had to say, F*** it. And then, they were on that same level. So you know what you have to do?”
“What’s that, coach?” KD asked. “Go out and be you. You gotta just say f*** it, like LeBron did.”
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Durant Won’t Stop Responding to Fans on Twitter
Durant is now more than two years removed from the Warriors, and he has maintained the same stance on his social media accounts that he did in Golden State. His responding to fans on Twitter shouldn’t matter as long as he is handling his business on the court.
“I don’t see a problem with me interacting with basketball fans, it should be encouraged,” Durant wrote on his Twitter account. “Steve should’ve also said that I’m never late and I work through every rep in practice with game speed. That should be more interesting than what I do on Twitter.”
@naslabumwhen I don’t see a problem with me interacting with basketball fans, it should be encouraged…steve should’ve also said that I’m never late and I work through every rep in practice with game speed. That should be more interesting than what I do on Twitter.
Author Claps Back at KD’s Comments
Sullivan, also chimed in on the conversation and argued that Kerr in fact did sing KD’s praises on his work ethic and agreed with Durant that what he does on the court is far more impressive than what he does on Twitter.
“Have you read my book? Steve said EXACTLY that,” Sullivan said to Durant per his Twitter account. “On the court, you couldn’t have handled the backlash any better. Everything you do is WAY more interesting than tweets, which is why they’re in three paragraphs out of 311 pages. Books, as opposed to Twitter, are all about context.”
@KDTrey5 @naslabumwhen Have you read my book? Steve said EXACTLY that: on the court, you couldn’t have handled the backlash any better.
Everything you do is WAY more interesting than tweets, which is why they’re in three paragraphs out of 311 pages. Books, as opposed to Twitter, are all about context.
If there is one thing that KD has made clear it is that he won’t stop responding to tweets about him that catch his attention. As a winner of two NBA Finals MVPs in the last five years, it doesn’t seem to be affecting his work.
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