Speaking to reporters after the Suns pulled out a 23-point comeback to beat the Clippers 119-117 on Tuesday, Kevin Durant strongly pushed back against the “narrative” that formed among NBA fans and observers as a result of a heated exchange between him and head coach Mike Budenholzer on the sidelines during the first quarter.
TNT’s cameras captured Durant exchanging words with Budenholzer as he came off the court during a timeout. The Suns’ coach went to stop the star forward, who yanked his arm away from Budenholzer as he continued to the bench (Twitter video link). Durant said after the game that outsiders read too much into the exchange.
“That’s what usually happens when you don’t know dynamics of the relationship,” Durant said, per Tim MacMahon of ESPN. “You catch something on TV, you get a quote and now you pushing that narrative as if me and Bud don’t do that s–t all the time.
“We [are] competitive as two individuals who want to see things done the right way, and sometimes my way ain’t the way that Bud want to do it and vice versa. He allows me as a player on the team, a veteran on the team, to voice my opinion. If we both didn’t care, we would never have stuff like that, you know what I’m saying?
“So I’m glad that the win is going to sweep all of that stupid stuff under the rug. Because people couldn’t wait. Even some people in Phoenix, in here, couldn’t wait to run with that and say, ‘This is the reason why the team ain’t playing well, because of that specific thing.’ But come on man, that shows that me and Bud really care about trying to right this ship and trying to win basketball games.”
It has been a disappointing season so far in Phoenix, where the Suns have a 29-33 record and are three games back of the final play-in spot in the Western Conference. There has also been an increased spotlight on Durant’s relationship with the team in recent weeks after he was “blindsided” by having his name come up in trade rumors prior to the February 6 deadline. The Suns’ poor season and Durant’s reaction to those rumors has led to speculation that an offseason trade is a virtual certainty.
Even if that’s true, Durant took exception to the idea that there’s any animosity between him and Budenholzer, telling reporters that he wished TNT’s broadcast would show the two of them “smiling on the bench and tapping each other in the chest and slapping hands” after their animated conversations yield a solution.
“We’re like old friends or whatever where we’re always probably grabbing and talking to each other,” Budenholzer said when asked about the first quarter exchange. “I thought actually his energy and his voice tonight was great. I think there was some kind of offensive play. He wanted something, I wanted something [else] and it’s the beauty of basketball. But really from that moment, his voice and him talking — feedback, ideas, suggestions — was really I think a big part of the night.”
Budenholzer earned praise from his top scorer for pushing the right buttons during the Suns’ big second-half comeback, including inserting two-way guard Collin Gillespie into the lineup. Gillespie had 10 points and was a +21 in his 15 minutes of action.
“Coach made a great adjustment throwing (Gillespie) in there,” Durant said. “Coach was just perfect, to be honest. Every adjustment he made was incredible. He was catalyst for all of it.”
Like sand through the hourglass, these are the days of our lives…
Worst reality show of all time, the KD show.
Now that the trade deadline has past, we’re pushing for more dramatic narrative…
I still can’t believe the Suns didn’t blow up that team at the deadline.
Their 3 best players are perimeter players who don’t play defense and don’t make anyone else better on the court.
Of course it was going to fail.
Who’s this guy that plays for the Suns that doesn’t play defense and is better than Durant?
Durant doesn’t play D.
So many casuals round these parts.
What kind of comment is this? Durant doesn’t play defense? Ok- Since you said so I guess you’re right. Kevin Durant doesn’t play defense
17 seasons and hasn’t made any all defensive teams. Durant has never been a good defender even in his prime.
I checked basketball reference and there’s only one player that’s ever played in the NBA named Durant. That guy’s first name is Kevin and he plays defense, he’s pretty good at it in fact. He leads the league in DFG% and is in the 78th percentile in DEPM. He’s also a good secondary rim protector and weakside help defender. He’s decent on ball and above average as a team defender.
There was a guy named Dwight Durante drafted by the Knicks as the 82nd pick in 1969 but he never played. There were two other guys that came up with the first name of Durand, Walker and Scott but once again they never played in the NBA. None of those guys ever played so maybe they never got a chance to show they were better than either Beal, Booker and Durant?
Exactly. The team is constructed so poorly. Trade everyone except Beal (who cant be traded) is what every quality GM does there.
Headline: “Suns Durant Criticizes…” Doesn’t matter what it says after that, it’s still the least surprising headline of the day.
Whiners gonna whine. Crybabies gonna cry. And losers gonna lose.
Whiners gonna whine. Crybabies gonna cry. And losers gonna lose.
This describes you way more than Durant,
Found Durant’s account, y’all!
You really got him there, Pedro
@clay lol, that’s true! And it’s kind of the point, he has no reason to be a Whiney bee, and yet he still is.
KD does have 2 rings, so very weird to label him a loser. I would rather we all push him back to GSW, where he never should have left to begin with.
KD should be playing with fire every single game. He is to blame for their terrible season. He’s just picking up his paycheck. He’s just not a winner like lbj and curry. It’s as simple as that.
You still hurt?
It’s over. You can let it go now,
If KD was really about winning, he would have never left GSW, period.
I hope more people call social media narrative garbage out the way KD and Draymond do
“I’m so happy on my poorly-constructed Phoenix team that I nixed a trade to join the same team I won multiple rings with”
Has any NBA player ever self-owned themselves harder than KD starting from the second he left GSW?
He is a cancer. Unhappy everywhere
He’s not wrong though. Everyone wants to find a way to explain their poor season, and the media will jump at the first thing they see – because they know the fans who thrive on garbage reality TV will eat it up
Suns are 29-33 and the 11th seed in West. Thats worth whinning about. Well he did it to himself. He’s been trying to out do Bron since he left Warriors. The was this season is going. He definitely gets moved at end of year. Probably before or at draft . So Suns can restart redo this team. KD still has value. And is approaching historical numbers.