Kevin Durant's beef with Stephen A. Smith intensifies

Kevin Durant: Steve, since u decided to use ESPN to push your personal agendas, im sure your minions will run with this story for you, but if u believe this is what my career is defined by then you just a flat out hater. It’s gonna be hard to box the god in
Source: Twitter @stephenasmith

What’s the buzz on Twitter?

Kurt Helin @basketballtalk
Eric Spoelstra to coach Team Durant in All-Star Game nba.nbcsports.com/2022/02/07/eri… – 7:31 AM The Vertical @YahooSportsNBA
Erik Spoelstra and his Miami Heat staff will coach Team Durant in the 2022 NBA All-Star Game. pic.twitter.com/L9Ab2TUOXg – 6:37 PM Dave Early @DavidEarly
“Every team needs health, every team needs their best players…That’s not a secret. Not having KD, not having James, not having LaMarcus, not having Joe, I mean you have four starters out? That’s obviously a problem. But that’s not an excuse….”
-Blake Griffin – 6:21 PM Marc J. Spears @MarcJSpears
Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra will coach Team Durant at the NBA All-Star Game. pic.twitter.com/goKFELhSmj – 5:57 PM Michael Lee @MrMichaelLee
The Nets sent Caris LeVert & Jarrett Allen to Houston for James Harden last year to build a super team with Kevin Durant & Kyrie Irving. A year later, LeVert & Allen are reunited in Cleveland & the Cavs wouldn’t think of trading them to Brooklyn for Harden. – 5:57 PM Mike McGraw @McGrawDHSports
DeRozan with 45 pts, Embiid 40 and #Bulls lose to Sixers 119-108. Miami’s Erik Spoelstra will coach Team Durant and Donovan can do his version of relaxing during all-star weekend. – 5:57 PM JD Shaw @JShawNBA
The Bulls have lost to the Sixers, meaning Erik Spoelstra and Miami’s staff will coach Team Durant in the All-Star Game. – 5:57 PM Joe Cowley @JCowleyHoops
Ball game … thanks for playing … enjoy the weekend off, Billy! Spo will coach Team KD. – 5:54 PM Alex Schiffer @Alex__Schiffer
The Nets are 2-9 without Kevin Durant. – 5:53 PM Nick Friedell @NickFriedell
The Nets have lost eight in a row.
They just went 0-5 on this west coast swing. It’s unclear whether Harden/Claxton will be able to play Tuesday vs. Celtics as both players are still dealing with hamstring issues. Kyrie won’t be there. KD, Harris and Aldridge still out.
Ouch. – 5:50 PM Joe Cowley @JCowleyHoops
The Nets falling like this is awful for the Bulls. They’re one of those teams that can slip to seven and send you home in Round 1 with KD back and Kyrie able to play more on the road. – 5:24 PM KC Johnson @KCJHoop
This is DeMar DeRozan’s 15th 30-point game, tying him with Kevin Durant and Steph Curry. – 5:00 PM Nick Friedell @NickFriedell
Nash said there is still no specific timeline for KD’s return but they are happy with the reports they’ve been getting from home.
“We feel really good about his recovery so far. I think he’s well on his way. There’s been no setbacks and everything’s gone to plan or then some.” – 3:06 PM Kristian Winfield @Krisplashed
Steve Nash on Kevin Durant: “We feel really good about his recover so far, and he’s well on his way.” – 2:05 PM Brian Lewis @NYPost_Lewis
Kevin Durant calls Stephen A. Smith a ‘flat out hater’ in ongoing Twitter war #Nets #NBA nypost.com/2022/02/06/kev… via @nypostsports teammate @ethan_sears – 1:18 PM CBS NBA @CBSSportsNBA
NBA All-Star Game: Head coach for Team Durant to be decided Sunday; Billy Donovan gets spot if Bulls top 76ers
https://t.co/0vfJ5vA0RI pic.twitter.com/SEjF1HuBZe – 12:28 PM Anthony Chiang @Anthony_Chiang
A reminder …
The head coach for Team Durant in the 2022 NBA All-Star Game will be decided today.
• If Chicago defeats Philadelphia, Bulls coach Billy Donovan will earn the spot.
• If Chicago loses to Philadelphia, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra will earn the spot. – 12:10 PM CBS NBA @CBSSportsNBA
James Harden trade rumors: Kevin Durant doesn’t want Nets to trade superstar guard
cbssports.com/nba/news/james… – 11:09 AM

More on this storyline

Stephen A. Smith: Okay. Stop the b.s. Religiously I’ve been on the record calling you the best in the WORLD. This is not about your game and you know it. We all know you’re great and you’re a champion. We will celebrate that forever when you’re DONE playing… But right now, YOU ARE PLAYING. Chapters are still being written. You’re measured by what’s taking place in the moment. And with all the stuff that’s gone on w/ KYRIE, if y’all don’t win but Steph does, the narrative in a lot of folks eyes is that you left Steph to join HIM (in Brooklyn). Period. -via Twitter @stephenasmith / February 7, 2022 I don’t wish it. I’m not rooting for it. I’m just calling it like I see it, and also based on what we’ve seen folks do for years. None of us get to control that narrative. We just have to call it for what it is. I meant no disrespect to you and you damn-well know it. I’m simply pointing out that you have to win, or else there’s going to be a narrative that you don’t like. The Nets are YOUR team. Folks will look to YOU. That’s what comes along with GREATNESS…….which is what you clearly possess. You want to go back and forth? We can do that. ….But it ain’t necessary. You know exactly what I mean and if you’re confused, you know the number. The last thing I am is hard to find.#Respect -via Twitter @stephenasmith / February 7, 2022 Ron Harper: @KDTrey5 let them haters hate and those thoughts to fly away your career with stand up to the times of the NBA…. He’s a talker that want headlines he don’t know **** when did he play? -via Twitter / February 7, 2022