Kevin Durant: Guys like Stephen A. Smith, Skip Bayless and Shannon Sharpe changed the game for the worse

First Take: .@stephenasmith says Steph Curry changed basketball for the better, while MJ changed it for the worse. “Michael Jordan is responsible, as much as anybody, for changing the game for the worse!” Kevin Durant: My theory is that guys like steve, skip and Shannon have changed the game for the worse. Playas like Stephen and Michael can only push the game forward.
Source: Twitter @RealQuintonMayo

What’s the buzz on Twitter?

Justin Kubatko @jkubatko
Stephen Curry has a scoring average of 26.5 PPG in the NBA Finals. He’s one of 13 players in Finals history to average at least 25 PPG (min. 10 GP).
He owns the third-highest eFG% and TS% in that group, trailing only Kevin Durant (1st in both) and Shaquille O’Neal (2nd in both). pic.twitter.com/hPSXqgEIyn – 4:31 PM Ramona Shelburne @ramonashelburne
Relationships matter in business and in life. Here’s why one of the Warriors most important relationships was between GM Bob Myers, ⁦@Rich Kleiman⁩ and Kevin Durant espn.com/nba/insider/st… – 4:17 PM Mikal Bridges @mikal_bridges
KD is hilarious lol – 3:58 PM Bruce Brown @BruceBrown11
KD od funny 😂😂 – 3:18 PM Kurt Helin @basketballtalk
Draymond Green: Kevin Durant made mistake by leaving Warriors nba.nbcsports.com/2022/06/02/dra… – 3:00 PM Ian Begley @IanBegley
Kevin Durant’s Boardroom has partnered with Showtime to produce ‘NYC Point Gods’, a documentary highlighting the impact of NYC guards from the 80s & 90s. It airs on 7/29. “Everyone knows an NYC point guard when they see them,” Durant says. (*Hopefully, film includes Kareem Reid) pic.twitter.com/EAFH0IKCiT – 12:23 PM Michael Lee @MrMichaelLee
Kevin Durant & Rich Kleiman already produced a documentary on PG County, next they’ll feature legendary NYC PGs. Personally, I’m excited to see anything that puts a spotlight on @Kenny Anderson. Showtime doc also includes @Mark Jackson, @Stephon Marbury & @rod_strickland. Airs July 29 pic.twitter.com/Ti7hU1hQbJ – 11:20 AM Ramona Shelburne @ramonashelburne
There are two kinds of dynasties in the NBA. Those that have a great run. And those that extend beyond the initial rise and fall. Here’s how the Warriors are attempting to do that, & the critical role a magnanimous gesture from Kevin Durant played in it. espn.com/nba/insider/st… – 10:40 AM Steve Popper @StevePopper
Showtime is releasing a documentary July 29 from Kevin Durant’s Boardroom on NYC point guards — and the who’s who is a reminder of what the city produced… pic.twitter.com/VZALnfKrcL – 10:30 AM Jorge Sierra @hoopshype
Among All-Stars, Kevin Durant has the third-worst mark in speed drills at the draft combine.
Only two All-Star centers did worse.
So perhaps don’t read too much into draft combine measurements? pic.twitter.com/EMfRhprp5o – 10:23 AM Stefan Bondy @SBondyNYDN
Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman have produced a documentary about NYC Point Guards. It’s called ‘Point Guards’ and spotlights Kenny Anderson, Mark Jackson, Steph Marbury, Rafer Alston, Rod Strickland and Pearl Washington.
Airing on Showtime July 29. – 9:14 AM Kurt Helin @basketballtalk
Draymond Green was right: Stephen Curry got double-teamed way more than Kevin Durant in NBA Finals nba.nbcsports.com/2022/06/02/dra… – 12:06 AM Monte Poole @MontePooleNBCS
The LeBron-DWade Heat tapped out after 4 years, the KD-Russ-Harden Thunder ended in 3. Shaq and Kobe won 3 titles in 8 years and ended ugly. The Steph-Draymond-Klay Warriors are the exception because of No. 30
nbcsports.com/bayarea/warrio… – 8:33 PM StatMuse @statmuse
Fun fact: The last 4 Finals MVPs are the last 4 All-Star Game MVPs — all from Team LeBron.
LeBron (’18 ASG MVP, ’20 FMVP)
Durant (’19 ASG MVP, ’18 FMVP)
Kawhi (’20 ASG MVP, ’19 FMVP)
Giannis (’21 ASG MVP, ’21 FMVP)
Steph (’22 ASG MVP, ?) pic.twitter.com/575O3Qlt2Y – 4:15 PM Justin Kubatko @jkubatko
The @Boston Celtics Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are just the third teammates in NBA history to each record at least 400p/100r/50a through the conference finals.
They join the Thunder’s Kevin Durant & Russell Westbrook (2014, 2016) and the Lakers’ LeBron James & Anthony Davis (2020). pic.twitter.com/Mi3Y4yCHVY – 3:01 PM

More on this storyline

In your opinion, who would you compare your game with, and what’s your potential long-term ceiling? AJ Griffin: I definitely look up to Jimmy Butler a lot. Potential wise, there’s not just one person who I look at. I think I take a part of everyone’s game that I like and try to put it into my game. I watch a lot of Stephen Curry or guys that shoot and can attack. I watch defenders and try to become the best version of me. -via HoopsHype / June 2, 2022 Something the Warriors have chased ever since Joe Lacob’s investment group bought the Warriors in the summer of 2010, and especially once Bob Myers took over as Golden State’s general manager. “They knew that I could score. They knew I could play-make,” Poole remembered Wednesday when asked by NBC Sports Bay Area. “They just wanted to see how I was as a competitor and if I could win. I feel that’s something that stood out. “I was able to show that in my pre-draft workout. I think I’ve been able to show that here as well.” -via NBC Sports / June 2, 2022 We’ve seen countless organizations in recent years and in the past try to piece together a team solely on stars and big names. It doesn’t always turn out so great. To Looney, it’s Myers’ ability to find the right fit, both as players and personalities, that makes all the difference. “I think his ability to not just get talent, but just to get talent that fits,” Looney said Wednesday. “Not just our playing style but our culture of the locker room. It’s tough to do that sometimes, you know. Since I’ve been here, we always had guys that fit what we do on and off the court. I never had somebody on our team that we felt like was a bad teammate or he wasn’t a great locker room guy. -via NBC Sports / June 2, 2022