ESPN's Stephen A. Smith got to the root of former Golden State Warriors superstar Kevin Durant's animosity for pro-Stephen-Curry media in the Bay Area after Ethan Strauss' recent book detailed just how irked he felt about it.
Strauss noted how after an article that criticized Durant's fit with the team, the superstar chose to address the reporter in person, quickly explaining his grievances with the media that heavily supports Curry.
Smith noted Durant's irritation was rooted in those who favor Curry blindly and call him a better player than Durant.
“Kevin Durant, does he have a point? Is he right about what he's saying?,” asked Smith on Wednesday's edition of First Take. “Yeah.”
“My response is: So what? What the hell did you expect?… Here is where Kevin Durant, in my opinion, had a problem. People, because you loved Steph Curry, you tried to act like Steph Curry was better than Kevin Durant, and that was never the case.
“Kevin Durant was the better player. Kevin Durant was the best player in the Golden State Warriors and there has not been a time when Kevin Durant was a worse player than Steph Curry. Stephen Curry is the best shooter we've ever seen in our lives. He was never a better all-around player than Kevin Durant.”
Smith is spitballing here, but his explanation might have some merit. Fans will be fans and Curry stans will do just about anything to ensure he stands above all who threaten his reign.
Durant was undoubtedly the better all-around player, able to get it done defensively as well as being the go-to player in the moments that counted during the Warriors' last two title runs.
Durant has always been a player that cares about how he's perceived. Receiving little to no credit from the fans likely made him feel unwelcome, even if the team was built to win multiple titles as constructed.
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