“He’s a clown to me, He’s always been a clown,” said Kevin Durant about Stephen A. Smith to The Athletic. Just a few weeks before, SAS had called out KD on First Take for not being the best leader. While we all knew, there was a reaction coming soon from the hooper, the Slim Reaper first replied on X, which was not a problem, however, has his ‘clown’ statement really crossed a line? We all know this isn’t KD’s first time beefing with someone. The Phoenix Suns’ veteran has been involved in quite a few of them.

After KD’s remarks, Smith defended himself on First Take. He made it clear he wasn’t going to respond with any immature remarks. Instead, he used the opportunity to applaud KD’s skills, something he’s done several times in the past. He also addressed Durant’s comments directly, responding to the claim that he had never seen Stephen A. at any team practices, shootarounds, or film sessions.

This is what Smith had to say in return, “I’ve got bad news for Kevin Durant,” Stephen A. said. He then further went on to clarify to the community that he has worked as a beat writer and a columnist and asked the Slim Reaper to “stop lying, please”. Moreover, KD has seen him in the locker room when he was in the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Golden State Warriors.

But another development has taken place since then. On his own show The Stephen A. Smith Show on YouTube, the senior reporter called out Kevin Durant’s hypocrisy. Amidst all the criticism, SAS decided to roll back the calendar. He said, “NYC Point Gods that 35 Ventures if I remember correctly executive produced, that’s why y’all called me, cuz I was a clown? Your docu-series, your company… When you had the boardroom and you were sitting down to interview people one-on-one, didn’t you call me to do that interview, by the way, didn’t you show up on First Take sitting right across from me? A clown, remember that?”

“Didn’t you call me for your documentary? I’mma leave it at that. I don’t really have to say more than that,” Smith continued. This one honestly seems to be on KD because Stephen A. has continuously praised the Slim Reaper, but it’s his job to criticize and point out his observations as well, which might be a certain person’s flaw on the court. If you can’t take the heat, then why not stay out of the kitchen?

Stephen Smith even *re-clarified* once again, saying, “I’m not getting personal here, I’m talking basketball. I’m not clapping back at Kevin Durant because he came at me. He has every right to come at me. Because as I was talking about him. He has every right. I take no offense with clapping back. I’m just saying be factual!”

All the senior media veteran demands are some factual arguments rather than just calling someone names because you cannot handle criticism. The Slim Reaper should be able to handle criticism coming from media, even though he has a history of ‘keeping receipts’. This certainly isn’t his first time. the 14x All-Star has a history of getting involved in a verbal spat with a lot of people.

Kevin Durant’s spat outside the NBA about the biggest hoops league’s IQ

During the Olympics, Dennis Schroder, the German point guard for the Brooklyn Nets, stated the reasons why European basketball is different than the NBA. “European basketball is no entertainment,” Schroder said. “It’s straight IQ basketball, straight coaching, and really, really high IQ guys who know how to play the game.”

And Kevin Durant took that personally.

After Team USA won Gold, KD posted a celebratory photo on X that read ‘ENTERTAINMENT & IQ’. Schroder made it clear he was choosing his words carefully, noting he wasn’t aiming to criticize the NBA. Alongside his role as an 11-season NBA player, he takes great pride in his European roots, having led Germany to a FIBA Basketball WC title in 2023.

Just days after Kevin Durant took a shot at him, Schroder responded by clarifying he hadn’t intended any disrespect with his previous comments, but he didn’t hold back either. He went on to call out Durant, saying his choice to post that reaction was “being weak.”

The German seemed unbothered by the back-and-forth. He doubled down on his initial stance while making it clear he wouldn’t back down. “I didn’t appreciate it. I don’t care at the end of the day, but that tweet he posted was because of me. I never meant anything negative. I respect all of those guys, but to say that tells me how weak he is as a person. It is what it is, not everybody is strong, not everybody is in a good place,” said Schroder. 

This reply may not entirely align with his “I don’t care” stance, but the hooper was clear from the start that his words weren’t meant to be taken in a negative light. Yet, knowing KD, it’s likely he won’t let the “weak” label slide. This tension could definitely keep fans tuned in—especially if the Phoenix hooper decides to respond again. And that could be on November 27, as the Suns will take on the Nets, KD’s former team and Schroder’s current one.