Kevin Durant has been in the news ever since he made the decision to join the already loaded Warriors team in an effort to win a championship. He and the Warriors are coming off a win against the Spurs to win the Western Conference and clinch a spot in the NBA Finals. "First Take's" Stephen A. Smith wasn't a fan of Durant leaving for Golden State in the summer, and on Tuesday's episode of "First Take," he took some time to address Kevin Durant and his growth since joining Golden State. Smith said he hasn't seen any growth from the former MVP and much more.
Stephen A. Smith is known for his brutal honesty and no-pulled punches approach, but does he have a point with this statement?
Has KD grown?
What sparked Stephen A. Smith's statement was when Kevin Durant answered a question that pertained to the low-competition level of the playoffs this past year. Durant answered with "If you don't like it, don't watch it."
Durant then clarified his statement by saying, "If you don't like the way the game is going, just turn it off. If you're enjoying it, just keep it on. Life is simple. I didn't mean it to disrespect anybody, but if you felt disrespected, I'm sorry."
Stephen A. Smith was given the chance to address this on "First Take" Tuesday and explained that he hasn't seen growth in KD.
Smith said, "He's aged. And along the process of aging, he's gotten more arrogant, he's gotten more disrespectful, he's gotten more dismissive—particularly of the fans. To be quite honest with you, he hasn't gotten smarter. And the reason why he hasn't gotten smarter is because the younger Durant never would have said something so flagrantly disrespectful towards fans."
Smith has been known to say what is on his mind, and this is no different.
Smith has been around the game of basketball for decades and has covered players like Allen Iverson and LeBron James. He has covered the best of the best, and if he sees this in a former MVP like Kevin Durant, who are we to say his opinion is wrong?
Does he have a point?
Stephen A. Smith's observation of KD during the season might not be far off from the truth.
Kevin Durant has been a little more arrogant since he's been playing with Golden State. He has shown it on many occasions and one has to question where on earth did he earn the right to become so arrogant? He shows arrogance as if he has been with the Warriors since they won the championship in 2015.
Durant hasn't won a championship and joined an already-dominant team so he can have an easier route to a possible championship. Durant's arrogance can be proven as he has shown this, but he really hasn't earned the right to be this way since he has zero championships.
Durant was once a fan favorite but now he doesn't have the same fan base. He has made many comments that can be perceived as disrespectful to the fans, much like his comment about the lack of competitiveness in the playoffs.
Durant has taken on the role of the villain and has lost many fans because of it. With Durant and his new-found arrogance and disrespect to the fan base he relies on, he will have to live with the consequences.
