Kevin Durant has responded to some pointed criticism from Charles Barkley. Barkley questioned Durant’s leadership during a TruTV alternative broadcast of the All-Star Game.
“No disrespect to Kevin. Kevin’s a follower,” Barkley said. “He’s not a leader. He’s proven that on all his stops. [Devin] Booker’s a hell of a player, also. I think he’s going to have to take the initiative and take this Suns team to the next level.
“… But I said the same thing with Boston: One of your guys has to step forward, he has to step forward, and for me, for Phoenix to be successful, it has to be Booker.”
Durant has since responded in an interview for Boardroom.
“I don’t feel like I want people to call me a leader, but I also don’t want people to say I’m not one either, because they don’t see what goes on behind the scenes of what I talk about or my intentions or relationships that I’ve built with my teammates and my support staff,” Durant said.
Suns head coach Frank Vogel has also defended Durant.
“He definitely leads by example, but he also speaks up when he needs to,” Vogel said on Bickley & Marotta. “Not every player is going to be a rah-rah type. Every player leads in their own way.
“You have to lead within your personality. I learned that as a coach a long time ago, that I can’t come in and try to be Rick Pitino, as much as he inspired me to get into coaching. Our personalities are different.”
Barkley has long been critical of Durant. In an interview with CBS in March 2023, Barkley called him “very sensitive” and “part of a generation that can’t be criticized.”
Durant is clearly tired of being called out by Barkley, and it was only a matter of time before he clapped back.
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