Durant Responds to Frustration Rumors Surrounding Phoenix Suns
On Christmas Day, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that members of the Phoenix Suns organization believed that Kevin Durant was growing frustrated with the team and their current roster, particularly due to injuries to Bradley Beal and Devin Booker. Wojnarowski stated that the Suns “has got to change soon” in order to improve their situation.
Durant, who is known for being active on social media, showed that he was well aware of the report and the fan criticism that followed. The Suns power forward commented on an Instagram video that featured a tweet asking if he had checked out mentally.
“Woj says somebody else ‘feels’ that I’m frustrated and it turned into me being mentally checked out,” Durant wrote in the now-deleted comment. “This sh*t crazy, these people can flat out lie on my name and make sh*t up and you people will believe it but when my teammates n coaches speak on how I am as a teammate, u ignore it lol.”
Durant’s response highlights his frustration with the rumors and the tendency for people to believe them without considering the perspectives of his teammates and coaches.
The comment came after Durant had a subpar performance in the Suns’ Christmas Day loss to the Dallas Mavericks, finishing with 16 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, and six turnovers. At the post-game press conference, Durant admitted that he needs to improve and acknowledged that his turnovers were holding the team back.
Despite the criticism, Durant is having one of his best offensive seasons in recent memory. He is averaging 30.3 points per game, which would be the second-best of his career and his highest since his 2013-2014 MVP season with the Oklahoma City Thunder. He is also averaging 5.5 assists per game, tied for the fourth-most in his 17-year career. However, his 3.6 turnovers per game are the highest since the 2011-2012 season.
Currently, the Suns have a record of 14-15 and are half a game out of the Western Conference Play-In Tournament. The team will need to make some changes to improve their performance and address Durant’s reported frustrations.
As the season progresses, it remains to be seen how Durant and the Suns will handle these rumors and whether they can turn their season around. In the meantime, Durant’s response serves as a reminder to not blindly believe rumors and to consider the perspectives of those directly involved.
