Kevin Durant's most prominent rival has never actually faced him on the court. Yes, we're talking about Charles Barkley.
The Suns star and TNT analyst have traded barbs throughout their careers with arguments largely centered around Durant's decision to join a loaded Warriors team in 2016. Despite the fact that Durant won two championships and Finals MVP awards with Golden State, Barkley has often referred to Durant as a "bus rider" rather than a "bus driver."
Barkley and Durant recently rekindled their feud by throwing more verbal jabs at each other.
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Kevin Durant-Charles Barkley beef, explained
On a March episode of "The ETCs Podcast" with Eddie Gonzalez, Durant addressed the "bus rider vs. bus driver" narrative, saying that it only gained traction because it was specifically about him. He praised Barkley for his playing career, but he felt that his comments were "corny."
"He's a f—ing legend that I've got nothing but respect for, and when I look up, I'm gonna play with pride knowing that he put blood, sweat and tears into this organization," Durant said of Barkley, who was a four-time All-Star with the Suns. "So, that ain't got nothing to do with how he is as an analyst, though. Like, I don't agree with how he approaches the game as a Hall of Famer.
"His game as an analyst — I don't really f— with your approach. That's my opinion on you, just like your opinion on us."
.@KDTrey5 on Charles Barkley:
— Boardroom (@boardroom) March 15, 2023
"He's a fucking legend that I've got nothing but respect for... I'm gonna play with pride knowing that he put blood, sweat and tears into this organization. ... As an analyst, I don't really fuck with your approach."
📺: https://t.co/gnVlNwemcP pic.twitter.com/ZXtielFH3S
Later that month, Barkley offered yet another critique of Durant during an interview on "60 Minutes." Barkley told CBS reporter Jon Wertheim that Durant is a "great player" but "very sensitive."
"He's part of that generation who think he can't be criticized," Barkley said. "He's never looked in the mirror and said, 'Man, was that a fair criticism?'"
Charles Barkley on Kevin Durant: "He's very sensitive. Great player. He's part of that generation who think he can't be criticized. He's never looked in the mirror and says 'Man, is that a fair criticism?'" pic.twitter.com/X16UpFXM7e
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 27, 2023
Unsurprisingly, Durant had a sharp response on Twitter.
He said that he will "never respect" Barkley's opinion of him and seemed to agree with another tweet claiming that Barkley had crossed a line. Rich Kleiman, Durant's longtime friend and business partner, also called out Barkley for his lack of "respect."
This ain’t gettin tiring chuck? I’ll never respect the words that come out ya mouth fam just deal with it https://t.co/ZGGCIs62El
— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) March 27, 2023
This where I’m at wit it… https://t.co/NG6EYf6SLm
— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) March 27, 2023
Who will fire the next shot in this beef?