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Stephen A. Smith Takes KD Comments To A Weird Place

By Jameson Miller

Mar 20, 2015; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) is seen on the floor prior to action against the Atlanta Hawks at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 20, 2015; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) is seen on the floor prior to action against the Atlanta Hawks at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Internet was made for this.

Just in case you were concerned that the return of autumn and the NBA season would allow non-basketball news to fade like so many summer camp romances, fear not—Stephen A. Smith and Kevin Durant, you may have heard, have a li’l’ something going on.

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We’re more or less between stage three and four of the very public war of words between the bombastic ESPN First Take talking head and the Oklahoma City Thunder free-agent-to-be.

Just to recap:

Stage 1:

Last Tuesday, Stephen A. got things started on ESPN First Take with this tasty nugget:

"“Regardless of how senseless it may (sound), in one breath I’m hearing that if Kevin Durant doesn’t stay in Oklahoma City, L.A. is his primary objective and landing spot as opposed to South Beach or even his home of Washington, D.C.,”"

(Transcription via larrybrownsports.com)

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Smith also goes on to float a theory that Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony and KD may eventually team up in New York under the auspices of Phil Jackson, citing the all-encompassing axiom, “[Y]ou just never know.”

Seems legit. I mean, can you, like, prove that we’re not all existing in some thin sheet hologram reality, man? Can you undeniably assert that the government isn’t hiding the existence of some extraterrestrial biological entity? Are you positive that your significant other isn’t a pod person?  You don’t have an answer for that, do you? DO YOU?

All I’m saying is you never know.

Stage 2:

In an exchange with Thunder beat reporter Anthony Slater, Durant responded to Stephen A.’s speculation:

"“I don’t talk to Stephen A. Smith at all,” Durant told reporters. “Nobody in my family, my friends — they don’t talk to Stephen A. Smith. So he’s lying.”[…]“If you ask me a question, I’ll talk about them,” Durant said. “But like I said before, I have people who I talk to about everything, and I know for a fact they didn’t talk to him, so he’s making up stories.”"

I suppose Durant could have just shrugged off the rumor and denied its authenticity without denigrating Smith’s journalistic integrity, but it’s also easy to understand Durant’s frustration with having his name bandied about in completely unsubstantiated rumors, knowing full well it will probably continue happening all season.

Durant’s response seemingly falls in line with a steadily increasing (though justifiable) prickliness toward the media over the last season or two. Nothing too noteworthy just yet.

Stage 3A:

This is where things get a bit out of hand. On Friday, Stephen A. offered his long-winded rebuttal via TwitLonger:

"Regarding @KDTrey5 and his negative comments about me, let me say this: At NO time did I ever say I SPOKE to K.D. Or his family. Or his brother, friends, teammates, etc. (although I can assure you all I have on several occasions in the past). I said I HEARD from folks I know — in a league I’ve been covering for 19 years — that if he were to leave OKC as a free agent, these are the cities I was told he was considering. OKC. LA. Miami. DC. NY. I stand by it all. And that is that.His assertion that I was lying is not only FALSE, but totally uncalled for. Especially from a player who receives nothing but praise not only from me, but from practically every media member you can find. Yet, for some reason, we’re all the same folks who don’t know *&%$ about the game of basketball. Whose thoughts he could give a &^%$ about. Essentially, individuals he wishes he’d never have to talk to…..that he’s being forced to tolerate…..as if someone has done something to him…..OF ALL PEOPLE!Don’t know what has happened to Mr. Durant over the years. But I know this much: We all win with his return, because he is an absolute superstar. The NBA is better with him. We’re all at a loss without him.It just appears that @KDTrey5 needs to learn something about today’s world in professional sports:We don’t have to talk TO HIM to talk ABOUT HIM!Folks like ME will still be here. Watching! Listening! Waiting! Reporting!Whether he likes it or not. While he’s here and long after he’s gone.Time to get use to it."

If you take Stephen A.’s comments word for word, applying strictly surface-level logic to each of his statements, then technically, he’s correct—he didn’t actually lie. Citing “sources” has always been a slippery slope for journalists and television personalities.

On the one hand, it’s a great way to get information to the masses without compromising the privileged position that gives the source access in the first place. On the other hand, people tend to be a lot more liberal with sensitive information once they’ve been assured they’re safely shrouded in anonymity.

Saying “I’ve heard that…” or “I’m hearing this…” doesn’t automatically discredit the information that follows, it just makes it borderline impossible to verify one way or the other.

Setting aside for the moment the fact that it’s a tad disingenuous to use Durant’s well-documented All-Star break anti-media comments as a way to discredit KD in this instance, Stephen A. also manages to essentially assert that he knows more about Durant’s thought processes than Durant himself, while bulletproofing himself against claims of dishonesty by absolving himself of the need to talk to Durant himself or anyone with actual knowledge of his feelings and plans in order to comment accurately on them.

Smith is essentially your 11-year-old friend who rigs any verbal games of one-upmanship by multiplying whatever you say by infinity plus one.

Stage 3B:

From Monday morning’s episode of First Take (transcription via The Big Lead):

"“I said if OKC, if Kevin Durant decides to leave OKC, I’m hearing that L.A. is a prime spot that he is considering. Not to say he’s not considering D.C., Miami, New York or whatever … that’s what I heard. I’m not lying. If I were wrong Kevin Durant would have signed his extension with OKC. Okay? You being represented by Roc Nation, I know these boys. They’re not small-timers. They don’t want Kevin Durant just because of his name, they want him because this brother’s going to do big things and they’re going to see to it that he’s going to do big things. Are you trying to tell me these large markets are not a consideration? I said nothing offensive about him. I will not say anything offensive about him.I still stand here today telling you: he’s a good dude, but he’s wrong. And the guys that put it up to him — put him up to it — in their own way — I’m not talking about literally his comments but in their own way with their chirping behind my back all the time, they’re wrong too. And the sensitivity that these guys are showing, they are making unnecessary enemies. I am not one of them. I won’t be. I’ve got too much love and respect for who these guys are and what they mean to my community. But I will say this lastly: you don’t want to make an enemy out of me. And I’m looking right into the camera and I’m going to say it again. You do not want to make an enemy out of me. I’m not having it. I’ve done nothing wrong and I’m not going to tolerate it.”"

The first bit about the extension can be thrown out immediately, because math. As Yahoo Sports’ Dan Devine nicely illustrates, league rules and salary cap machinations heavily incentivize veteran star players to become free agents and eventually sign new deals as opposed to simply extending current ones.

As Devine notes, Durant would be leaving in the area of $74 million in guaranteed money on the table if he chose an extension over a new max deal next summer.

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    • As for his closing “threat,” though Stephen A. later attempted to soften his stance, blaming bloggers in general for the attempts to “misconstrue” his intentions, it’s tough to walk back anything after saying it twice while staring directly into the camera for dramatic effect. It’s a threat, plain and simple.

    Just because no one actually thinks Stephen A. is going to bring any harm against Durant doesn’t make it not a threat. Nor does the fact that no specific reasons were offered for why Durant should be so wary of making an enemy of Stephen A.

    Though powerful media members can sometimes wield an inordinate amount of influence over the happenings of the sports they cover, aside from lobbing one of his quasi-rhythmic, on-air, argle-bargle bombs in KD’s direction, I’m not sure what exactly Stephen A. could do to make good on his warning.

    Then again, as long as whatever he says is loud and absurd enough (not to mention decorated with plenty of crisply enunciated big words), America will listen.

    It’s also worth noting that this isn’t the first time Stephen A. has made vaguely threatening comments to an NBA player. As The Big Lead notes, Smith volleyed similar comments in the direction of Michael Carter-Williams last fall after MCW made what Stephen A. deemed to be untoward comments about him in the Players’ Tribune. In response, Smith had this to say:

    "“You’ve never going to have the last word over us. And you damn sure ain’t going to have the last word over me. I’m not going to start problems, but I can damn sure finish them. If these guys want to come at me, let them do it at their own peril. It will be a mistake.”"

    Durant has yet to respond to Stephen A.’s latest salvo, though when he does, you can be sure that whatever sermonized retort Smith comes up with will be articulated very loudly. Then very quietly. Then very loudly.

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