Kevin Durant: I see Damian Lillard, LeBron James, Draymond Green speak up but they don't get the 'sensitive' rap

NBA Central: Brian Windhorst labels the Miami Heat as a team to watch in a potential Damian Lillard trade “The Heat are ready to go to their next star window” (Via ESPN) pic.twitter.com/Csm3KpUQyo -via Twitter @TheNBACentral / April 13, 2023

The 2nd Team is headlined by Nikola Jokic, who, despite having forward eligibility, was left off the 1st Team. Donovan Mitchell and Damian Lillard – who hold the top single-game scoring mark this season with 71 points – are projected to earn 2nd Team honors. Miami’s Jimmy Butler is projected to earn 2nd Team honors as well, which would mark the first time in his career. New York’s Julius Randle rounds out the 2nd Team. -via HoopsHype / April 13, 2023

“A lot of times people thought I was talking about Brad[ley Beal] or whatever. I look at Brad the same way I look at Dame [Damian Lillard]. He’s loyal to D.C. …” “But in D.C. if you got three max dudes Porzingis, Brad and Kuz, how you miss the playoffs? None of these things make sense. Unless your priorities aren’t in order,” Dinwiddie concluded. -via TalkBasket / April 13, 2023

Draymond Green: 😳😳😮😮😮 Sheesh!! Champ talk -via Twitter @Money23Green / April 12, 2023

Draymond Green breaks down the Lakers-Grizzlies series and predicts the Lakers to come out on top. “I think the Lakers will take this series. I think it will be an upset. It won’t be easy, but I think the Lakers may take this series.” -via YouTube / April 12, 2023

FanDuel TV: Spencer Dinwiddie speaks on the Twitter beef with Kyle Kuzma 🗣 “What’s that thing Draymond Green just said… Insecurity is loud?” 🍿 #RunItBack -via Twitter / April 12, 2023

Kellan Olson: I asked Devin Booker about a favorite Kevin Durant playoff moment. “Ooo. I mean, Finals MVP. The shot that almost had us playing against each other just a couple years ago, toe on the line. There’s many. The OKC days. I can’t think of just one but that’s a 2-time world champ.” -via Twitter @KellanOlson / April 13, 2023

Kellan Olson: Hard to believe he’s on their side now? “Never something I would have expected and couldn’t of even dreamed it but it’s here now. I think that adds a little bit of pressure to everybody knowing that you have somebody that’s been there and finished it and that’s the expectation.” -via Twitter @KellanOlson / April 13, 2023

Kevin Durant believes he wears a scarlet letter of sorts for being sensitive, while other athletes who engage with critics aren’t perceived in the same manner. Durant unequivocally cleared that up. “Hell, no,” he said. “I don’t regret anything I do. I don’t regret my time in the league because I feel like I maximize every day as a player. I feel like I get the most out of myself every time I step on the floor. “So, it’s like regardless of the results and the wins and losses, I can live with that part of it. I would never say anything I do is a failure. We could lose 82 games in a season, but if I come to work and every rep is done with intention and with force, every rep I can live with.” -via FoxSports.com / April 13, 2023

LeBron playoff ranking among active players: 1st in points 1st in rebounds 1st in assists 1st in steals 2nd in blocks 3rd in threes -via Twitter @statmuse / April 13, 2023

Clutch Points: Top 4 active NBA players with the most Playoff points 📈 LeBron James (7,631 PTS, 49.5% FG) Kevin Durant (4,559 PTS, 47.6% FG) Steph Curry (3,570 PTS, 45.2% FG) James Harden (3,414 PTS, 42.6% FG) pic.twitter.com/lCLG8odqW6 -via Twitter @ClutchPointsApp / April 12, 2023

Durant looked to LeBron James, who then played for the Cavaliers, for advice. James had met with an even larger surge of requests when he was drafted No. 1 four years prior, so Durant knew he would be able to give him an informed and relatable vantage point on what to do. “When I first came into the league, we just had little conversations here and there about the shoe game,” Durant said. “I was in a heavy shoe battle when I came out of college — Adidas, Nike — and guys like LeBron had went through that. So, to bounce ideas off of some of his team and just to see what he went through in some of those experiences was big for me. He was close in age — four years older than me in the draft — so he’d been through similar stuff with the same people as well. He was probably the main guy that I looked at — and I still look at to this day — to see what he’s doing off the floor and seeing if there’s anything that we could potentially work on at some point. I really admire what Klutch (Sports Group), SpringHill (Company) and just LeBron, Inc. have done. That s— is one of the best brands — not just in sports, but in business in general.” -via The Athletic / April 12, 2023