The sports world has another media explosion — and this time, the trigger is Kevin Durant. The outspoken NBA star has caused a stir online by publicly “pointing his spear” at prominent sportswriter Stephen A. Smith, accusing him of being “unfair” and “two-faced” in his treatment of sports figures.
In a post that was shared tens of thousands of times in just a few hours, Durant wrote: “Stephen A. has always been tough on black athletes. But when it comes to Alexis Ohanian – Serena Williams’ husband – he suddenly becomes gentle, tactful and strangely ‘respectful.’ If you have the energy to criticize us, save that energy for all of us.”
The words cut straight to the heart of the American sports commentary world. A series of major accounts on X (Twitter) immediately joined in, creating a huge storm of debate: was Durant right, or was he just looking for an excuse to “fight back” after being criticized by Stephen A. many times before?
A source close to Durant said: “Kevin has put up with this for too long. He feels that Stephen A. has a habit of blaming black athletes whenever there is drama, while avoiding or downplaying it when other subjects are involved.”
Meanwhile, fans of Stephen A. Smith spoke up to defend him. One viral comment read: “Stephen A. is just doing his job – analyzing sports, not politics. Durant should focus on the field instead of social media.”
The situation became more tense when many former NBA players also started to comment. Some anonymous people admitted that they “understand how KD feels,” having felt unfairly treated in Smith’s commentary programs.
Stephen A. Smith has remained silent as of this morning, but according to leaked ESPN insiders, he is “very unhappy” with Durant’s attack and may “fire back fiercely” in the upcoming First Take episode. A producer revealed: “If Stephen A. speaks up, you can count on it being a 10-minute monologue, no less than a playoff game.”
Public opinion is currently divided into two clear camps:
Durant’s camp believes he has spoken for many athletes who have been harshly judged.
Stephen A.’s camp sees this as a “distraction” by Durant, after a recent series of erratic performances.
Everyone is waiting: will Stephen A. Smith continue to “stay silent” or turn this incident into the biggest war of words in sports this year?
