Getty Suns star Kevin Durant
The beef between Kevin Durant and Phoenix Suns legend Charles Barkley continues.
On March 26, Durant issued a 20-word tweet firing back at Barkley, who called KD “very sensitive” during an interview with CBS.
“He’s very sensitive,” Barkley said about Durant. “Great player. He’s part of that generation who think he can’t be criticized. He’s never looked in the mirror and says, ‘Man, is that a fair criticism?'”
Barkley told Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson on “All The Smoke” in February that Durant has to win a championship without the Golden State Warriors to “get the old heads’ respect.” Durant joined the Warriors in the summer of 2016 after Golden State won an NBA record 73 games in 2015-16. The Dubs won back-to-back championships in 2017 and 2018, with Durant winning both Finals MVPs.
“KD is a great, great player. He is a great, great player.” Barkley said about Durant. “He’s sensitive, 100% sensitive. But what I said and I’ll stick by it: KD is a great, great player, but he’s going to have to win a championship without the Warriors to get the old heads’ respect.”
Durant only won one postseason series with the Brooklyn Nets. The future Hall of Famer was traded to the Suns in February.
Kevin Durant Could Play on March 29 Against the Minnesota Timberwolves
Durant, who injured his left ankle during pregame warmups on March 8, could play on March 29 against the Minnesota Timberwolves, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium. The Suns are 3-0 with Durant in the lineup.
Phoenix Suns’ 13-time All-Star Kevin Durant (sprained ankle) is progressing toward a potential return to action on Wednesday vs. Minnesota Timberwolves, barring any setback, league sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
Durant is averaging 26.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists with the Suns while shooting an incredible 69.0% from the field, 53.8% from beyond the arc and 88.2% from the free-throw line. Phoenix is 39-35 on the season, good for fourth place in the Western Conference standings.
“He’s unstoppable,” Suns star shooting guard Devin Booker said about Durant on March 21. “He just understands the game. He’s been doing this his whole entire life at the highest level, and even when you watch him do it, he just seems unfazed and unbothered by any type of situation that he’s thrown in.”
Booker has meshed well with Durant, averaging 36.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and 7.7 assists alongside the one-time MVP.
Monty Williams Was Fined $20,000
Suns head coach Monty Williams was recently fined $20,000 for public criticism of referees. Williams went off on the officials who worked the Suns-Los Angeles Lakers game on March 22.
“I can sit here and rant and rave about what I feel like is not a fair whistle,” Williams said. “It’s just not. 46 free-throws. We’re attacking the rim. I’m getting explanations about we’re taking too many jump shots, midrange jump shots. We’re playing a physical game. They had 27 free-throws in the first half. They end up with 46. When do you see a game with 46 free-throws for one team? Like, that’s just not right. I don’t care how you slice it. It’s happening to us too much. Other teams are reaching, other teams are hitting and we’re not getting the same call and I’m tired of it. It’s old. 46 to 20 free-throws with Devin Booker on our team. He gets 12. I mean, our bench had no free-throws. It’s just, I’m over it. Been talking about the same thing for a while. Doesn’t matter what team it is. I’m tired of talking about free-throws. Our guys have to do their job, we understand that, but that’s a huge disparity. 46 free-throws, and I’ll say it again, 46 to 20. That’s it. That’s all I gotta say.”
Williams and the Suns take on the Utah Jazz on March 27 at Vivint Arena.