The Phoenix Suns‘ victory over the Los Angeles Clippers in the season opening was greatly aided by Kevin Durant. He finished with 25 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 steals, which was sufficient for the Arizona team to win by a 10-point margin. Though he had little confidence in the Suns’ ability to make an impact this season, Stephen A. Smith generally praised KD for his performance.
According to the ESPN expert, he greatly admires Durant’s skill and work ethic. The fact that KD’s greatness is undeniable is something he reaffirmed. On First Take, however, SAS criticized Durant’s leadership.
And he gave that as justification for not believing in the Suns. Because throughout his prior appearances at Brooklyn and Oklahoma City, the two-time NBA Champion showed little capacity to improve his teammates. Smith said : “He’s been relatively leaderless. He’s been very lacking in inspiration in terms of peeling out from those around him whatever you can give him… Does he get the others around him to do it?”
.@stephenasmith doesn’t have “much” belief in the Suns with KD as their superstar 👀
“I don’t question the greatness nor commitment of Kevin Durant. … When you are that great … you should be able to be a better leader than he has shown.” pic.twitter.com/0DTd5Vxvfh
— First Take (@FirstTake) October 24, 2024
Despite being a fantastic player, the 2014 MVP hasn’t done anything to inspire his team during pivotal moments. Compared to other league leaders like LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Jimmy Butler, he has not shown himself to be as outspoken. Furthermore, none of his teammates have commented on his demeanor in the locker room.
Smith’s criticism of KD was valid. The 6′ 11″ forward, however, disagreed with this assessment. A few hours after the initial tape was posted, he responded with a polite remark.
