Getty Kevin Durant and Charles Barkley
Phoenix Suns superstar swingman Kevin Durant told reporters on April 12 that he probably won’t sit down with Charles Barkley to squash their beef.
“I probably wouldn’t sit down with Charles” 😅
KD when asked if he would sit down with the ‘Inside The NBA’ crew
(via @DuaneRankin)
Barkley has called Durant “sensitive” multiple times over the past few years. When KD saw Chuck’s interview with CBS near the end of March, the two-time Finals MVP took to Twitter, saying, “I’ll never respect the words that come out ya mouth fam just deal with it.”
During an interview with Bickley & Marotta on Arizona Sports on March 28, Barkley called Durant sensitive again after Durant’s tweet went viral.
“He is sensitive,” Barkley told Bickley & Marotta. “It’s weird. I said it for three or four years now, I’m not sure why he reacted to it again. I don’t care where it goes. He’s a great, great player. I think he’s a good guy, too. He is sensitive and I’m not worried about it. I don’t even think about it.”
Charles Barkley: Kevin Durant Has to Win a Ring Without the Warriors
Barkley, who won the 1992-93 regular-season MVP with the Suns, told Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson on “All The Smoke” in February that Durant has to win a ring without the Golden State Warriors to “get the old heads’ respect.” Durant joined the Warriors in the summer of 2016 after the Dubs won an NBA record 73 games during the 2015-16 regular season.
“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 won two championships with the Warriors in 2017 and 2018. Meanwhile, Barkley never won a title during his Hall of Fame career.
Kevin Durant Is Relying on Experience Ahead of His 1st Postseason With the Suns
Durant, who has appeared in 155 playoff games, is relying on his experience ahead of his first postseason with the Suns.
“I’m a true vet,” Durant said. “I’ve been in the league 15 years playing, but 16 years around the league. I played with so many different players under so many different coaches. I know a few coaches here before I got here and I know I had a couple of teammates that I played on some teams with before I got here. So I think that stuff adds (up) and helps with speeding that transition up, just getting used to your teammates.”
The Suns went a perfect 8-0 with Durant in the lineup after acquiring the one-time regular-season MVP from the Brooklyn Nets. The Texas product averaged 26.0 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists with Phoenix while shooting 57.0% from the floor, 53.7% from beyond the arc and 83.3% from the free-throw line.
The Suns are facing the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round of the 2023 playoffs. Phoenix has home-court advantage in the series and the team may not have to deal with Los Angeles small forward Paul George. PG13 is still recovering from a leg injury he suffered on March 21 against the Oklahoma City Thunder.