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Stephen A. Smith is paid millions of dollars by ESPN to stir the pot, and stirring that pot requires him to hash out criticism to some of the greatest athletes walking the planet. It’s a bizarre dynamic that most sports fans don’t question, given that sometimes, it’s entertaining. 

Kevin Durant has long been a target of Smith’s, and what makes KD different from most superstar athletes is that he isn’t afraid to get right into the mix.

The latest chapter in their years-long back-and-forth came on October 24, a day after the Phoenix Suns began the new NBA season with a win over the Los Angeles Clippers, when Smith posted a clip of himself explaining why he doesn’t think Durant is a good leader.

It was a bit random from Stephen A. given there were approximately 8,753 more-interesting topics to discuss, but again, he has to stir the pot. 

Durant saw the clip on X, formerly Twitter, and responded.

While Durant’s response online was tame, he spoke more passionately about his disdain for Stephen A. during a recent discussion with The Athletic. 

Durant thinks Smith is a clown, and alleged all he does is talk about himself and other players in the NBA without doing any in-person work or research.

“I don’t understand how people even listen to Stephen A.,” Durant told the outlet. “I’ve been in the league for 18 years. I’ve never seen Stephen A. at a practice, or a film session, or a shoot-around. I’ve never seen him anywhere but on TV talking (expletive) about players. … He’s a clown to me. He’s always been a clown. You can write that, too.”

Durant’s “You can write that, too,” is a chef’s kiss to end the quote.

“I’ve always been on this trajectory, of diving deep into the game, not just for myself but for the whole team,” Durant continued. “To say that I’m just sitting here, you paint this picture of me coming into the locker room, not talking to my teammates, quiet, not talking to my coaches. Like, come on, man. It’s just ridiculous.”

Durant has the Suns cooking to begin the year with the team sitting at 5-1 while he sits second on the team in points-per-game behind Devon Booker while averaging 25.8 points per contest.