Kevin Durant: Stephen A. is "lying" about Lakers rumors

[True Lakers Fan]

I reevaluated it my decisions and decided to still listen to Smith.

He's not bad for listening too. I have listened to him some when he is on and I used to listen to him when he was on the radio a few years ago. I just don't think he is always right and gets it wrong sometimes. No body is right all of the time in my opinion, so that's logical.

 

[True Lakers Fan]

Why would he need to get new sources? Nothing says he is lying.

Nothing says he's telling the truth either

 

[True Lakers Fan]

What we have here, is people that hate SAS, trying to bash his credibility.

I fucking hate Tom Gaydy with a passion, but I will never bash him as a top QB.

Not trying to bash his credibility - Can't bash something that doesn't exist

 

[True Lakers Fan]

Wtf? Just shut up! You have proven time and time again, you don't know what you are talking about. He never said anything close to he want to absolutely come to the Lakers. He said the Lakers would be a Primary choice for KD.

You STFU Asshole, no one has said you can't listen to him and just because you like him doesn't mean we have to keep quiet.

 

[trojanfan12]

You keep saying that he backtracked, but he didn't. From day 1, he always said this was a culture thing. Look, lets call it as it is. Black and white people will never see eye to eye on some race or culture issues. You guys see it as race-baiting, he see it as a culture issue. Whatever! His opinion on that, does not hurt his credibility because you disagree with it. Matter of fact, he reported that's how some Eagles players felt, and it turned out to be true. So again, how did that hurt his credibility?

You say, somebody tell him something around the league, then he report it? Isn't that what every single reporter do? How do you know if he verify the story or not? You have no proof how he verify his stories. So to say he don't, is just speaking of hate.

No, a cultural issue would be not understanding something because it's a "black thing" or a "white thing" or an "asian thing" etc. All races have a culture that is unique to them and there are parts of it that other cultures don't completely understand. That's not what Stephen A. was referring to. The player he quoted was butthurt and implied it was racial. Stephen A. went on a rant about it and clearly implied that Kelly was getting rid of players because they were black. I'm not the only one who says this. In fact, you and bks are in a small minority of people who don't think he was race baiting.

Also, Stephen A. doesn't have a credibility issue because I disagree with him. That's a bullshit statement and you are better than that. Stephen A. has a credibility issue because he reports shit that turns out to be wrong and he does it often.

I know he didn't verify what he said because Durant called him out for it and because he has a history of running with self serving bullshit that he can't back up.

I also love how people criticizing him are just "haters" in your mind rather than considering the possibility that he is wrong.

And no, every single reporter doesn't report what they are told and certainly not in the way Stephen A. does. Do you know why Adrian Wojnarowski is arguably the most respected and credible NBA source? Because he doesn't report anything without verifying it with at least one or 2 other sources. That's why he is rarely wrong.

 

[trojanfan12]

All he said was, LA is a primary choice. That doesn't mean Washington, Miami, or NY isn't. Durant was not in a "must lie situation"

People also thought SAS was crazy when he broke the story that Lebron was going to Miami. I guess that wasn't credible either.

Horse shit. Any time a player who is currently under contract with a team is reported as being interested in another team during the season, they are in a must lie situation. Also, Stephen A. said that going to the Lakers would be his "primary objective" not simply his primary choice.

His primary choice would just mean the Lakers are at the top of the list. Primary objective means that he wants to do what is necessary to make it happen. In either case, it's a must lie situation because of the potential to cause a distraction with his current team.

 

[bksballer89]

This is from a highly recognized sports website for those that hate Smith

Smith actually makes some good points in that video, at least if you can look past the vague threats. He doesn’t need to speak to Durant to report on Durant, and Durant doesn’t necessarily know which of his friends and family talks to Smith.

 

[trojanfan12]

Once again, he doesn't need to speak to Durant, and how do you know if he verified it or not?

Yeah, who the hell needs to get a quote from the person they're quoting? That would be a lot like responsible journalism and we certainly don't want that.

And I've explained how I know he didn't verify it.

 

[trojanfan12]

Why would he need to get new sources? Nothing says he is lying.

Pretty sure Kevin Durant said exactly that.

 

[trojanfan12]

This is from a highly recognized sports website for those that hate Smith

Smith actually makes some good points in that video, at least if you can look past the vague threats. He doesn’t need to speak to Durant to report on Durant, and Durant doesn’t necessarily know which of his friends and family talks to Smith.

It's from a highly recognized sports website that you can't link apparently. ESPN is a highly recognized sports station with a highly recognized sports website, yet most seem to think they are full of shit an awful lot of the time.

 

[bksballer89]

It's from a highly recognized sports website that you can't link apparently. ESPN is a highly recognized sports station with a highly recognized sports website, yet most seem to think they are full of shit an awful lot of the time.

Is it not a valid point? You think Durant knows every single person in the media that all of his family and friends speak to? Use common sense here

 

[OutlawImmortal]

Another person attacking his personality and showing the hate you have for him. That cool, but how does that hurt his credibility as a reporter?

Credible reporters don't usually threaten athletes lol. In fact, I can't recall a time a reporter has ever uttered the words "you don't want to make enemies with me". SAS and Skip are entertainers, they aren't credible reporters. Why do you think they disagree on pretty much every topic on First Take? Because it would be boring if they agreed with each other or had discussions where they didn't yell at the top of their lungs. I can't believe there are still people who take them seriously.

 

[trojanfan12]

Is it not a valid point? You think Durant knows every single person in the media that all of his family and friends speak to? Use common sense here

I'd say he has a better idea than most. I also think that like most most people, he has an inner circle that he trusts and those are the only people that he would share something that potentially inflammatory with. So, while he may not know every single person in the media that his friends and family talk to, I'd bet he knows who those that are closest to him talk to. So no, it's not a very valid point.

Common sense tells me that he knows who in the media the folks he'd share that kind of information with talk to and that Stephen A. isn't one of them.

 

[OutlawImmortal]

Durant is still under contract, do you guys seriously believe he's going around telling everyone what he's going to do in free agency a year from now? If he has discussed it, it is most likely only a couple of people who he is very close with and knows for a fact that they wouldn't go to the media with this information. He'd be very careful with that information, he's well aware of the unwanted attention that would result from something like that leaking out. It's like you guys think he's ordering food at a restaurant and telling the waiter "Hey, I'm going to the Lakers next season!". It's silly.

You guys are right about one thing though, Durant did react pretty strongly when he could have just denied it and left it at that. Calling Stephen A. out for being a liar just tells me that it really is fabricated.

 

[trojanfan12]

He'd be very careful with that information, he's well aware of the unwanted attention that would result from something like that leaking out. It's like you guys think he's ordering food at a restaurant and telling the waiter "Hey, I'm going to the Lakers next season!". It's silly.

I was eating at an L.A. restaurant a couple of weeks ago and Kevin Durant was there. I overheard him tell the waiter that the food there is so good that starting next year when he's a Laker, he's gonna be a regular there.

 

[bksballer89]

I don't see the big deal with Stephen A original comments. All he basically said is that IF Durant leaves OKC in the summer, LA would be ahead of WSH, MIA, and NYK on his list.

What's the big deal? Most players wouldn't even get all hot and bothered as Durant did

 

[trojanfan12]

Look, I hope that for once, Stephen A. has scooped everybody, is 100% right and this time next year, we're all arguing about whether or not having Durant makes the Lakers an automatic contender or not.

I still won't think Stephen A. is all that credible, but I'd be happy to be wrong and give him credit for that one.

 

[True Lakers Fan]

Is it not a valid point? You think Durant knows every single person in the media that all of his family and friends speak to? Use common sense here

I will agree with you and I was thinking about that from the beginning. I really do think that Durant was overly confident that no one in his circle spoke to the press unless of course he knows he never said those things to begin with to any one. So that comes down to who do you believe - Smith a respectable journalist who has been right most of the time(please note I am saying most of the nice) and correct, but has been known to go to far with information he hasn't been verified(Trojan Fan articulated that point well) or do you believe Durant. I personally believe that it's quite possible Durant never said anything

 

[trojanfan12]

I don't see the big deal with Stephen A original comments. All he basically said is that IF Durant leaves OKC in the summer, LA would be ahead of WSH, MIA, and NYK on his list.

What's the big deal? Most players wouldn't even get all hot and bothered as Durant did

Gee, I don't know. The season is about to start and he is on a team that has the potential to make a run at a championship. Not one regular season game has been played and Stephen A. is making statements about going to the Lakers being his "primary objective" (a little more than "LA would be ahead of WSH, MIA and NYK on his list").

It's not as if season long speculation that he wants to join the Lakers would be a distraction or anything.

 

[bksballer89]

Gee, I don't know. The season is about to start and he is on a team that has the potential to make a run at a championship. Not one regular season game has been played and Stephen A. is making statements about going to the Lakers being his "primary objective" (a little more than "LA would be ahead of WSH, MIA and NYK on his list").

It's not as if season long speculation that he wants to join the Lakers would be a distraction or anything.

As I said there was a good way and a bad way to respond to this. The good way is just to say something a long the lines of " I haven't even thought about FA yet as my focused is only on the OKC Thunder". The bad way is the tantrum he decided to throw.

Trust me when I say this. SAS will not be the last person to speculate on Durant's future before the end of the season.