Who is screaming "log off" at Kevin Durant and Kendrick Perkins? They will never log off.
If you haven't recently been scrolling through NBA Twitter or watching ESPN programming, first of all, congratulations on a happy life. What activities are you enjoying with your free time? Any good books you could recommend? Anyway, to the matter at hand ...
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Durant and Perkins set social media ablaze Thursday night, trading shots during Russell Westbrook's return game to Oklahoma City. The feud started when Perkins called Westbrook "the best player" to ever wear a Thunder jersey. There was some pushback on Perkins' opinion with multiple Twitter users saying Durant is the better player even though Westbrook is more widely recognized as the face of the franchise. Perkins refused to change his view, and then his former OKC teammate dropped an anvil on his head.
KD lost in the second round without Russ when I was there. So what that mean?
— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) January 9, 2020
Yea and our starting center @KendrickPerkins averaged a whopping 2 and 3 during that series. U played hard tho champ lol
— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) January 10, 2020
Perkins took the high road initially, and Durant accepted the olive branch.
Facts on the averages and facts on the Champ part too!!!
— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) January 10, 2020
🤝
— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) January 10, 2020
Yeah, the peace didn't last long.
Boy stop you did the weakest move in NBA History!!! Up on a team 3-1 in the western conference finals and then go join them the following season?! Heart of Champion right there
— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) January 10, 2020
— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) January 10, 2020
Weak is starting at center, playing real minutes with no production. Should’ve worked on your skills as much as I did
— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) January 10, 2020
That’s fine!!! You worked that hard and still had to go join a 73-9 team. Truth be told you don’t even feel like a real Champ, you have hard time sleeping at night huh knowing that you took the coward way out!!!
— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) January 10, 2020
This fueled plenty of online discussion and gave ESPN segments for multiple shows. It's the circle of programming: Fire off a take, elicit a response to that take, turn that response into a story, use the story you created for more takes. Lather, rinse, repeat.
So, who can succinctly explain what we should all learn from this argument? Thunder center Steven Adams, of course.
Here's what Adams had to say when asked about KD vs. Perk (via The Athletic's Erik Horne):
Have you had a chance to go on Twitter and take a look at what Kevin and Kendrick have been going back and forth about?
Adams: I'd seen something pop up in the feed. They were kinda bickering back and forth, yeah?
I'd say that's a good description.
Adams: Ah, you know how it is, mate. They're both a bit bored, aye? They're not doing much, so they're probably just bored, mate. But it's entertaining for you guys I bet, yeah? You guys getting a little kick out of it?
It's interesting.
Adams: I wouldn't say it's interesting. It's just some bickering. What's interesting is the political stuff. American politics. That's interesting. Not just two players bickering. C'mon.
Just a couple of bored guys bickering and entertaining the rest of us online. Thanks, Steven.
