Kevin Durant speaks on main accusations concerning the Phoenix Suns’ locker room setting amid underwhelming 2024-25 NBA season.
The Phoenix Suns have grow to be a punching bag for the media amid their 2024-25 season struggles. Practically each member of the group was seemingly out there to be shipped off on the NBA Commerce Deadline, together with Kevin Durant.
After Durant and Co. denied the rumors, ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne wrote a report labeling the Suns’ locker room “poisonous.”
It resulted in a flurry of backlash from the Suns, and Durant turned the newest member to handle the now-viral report.
With the Suns at the moment holding the eleventh seed within the Western Convention, the 2024-25 NBA season has been removed from splendid for the franchise.
Seeing Durant’s identify speculated on the commerce deadline solely made issues worse for the Suns. So, Shelburne’s report immediately turned plausible for many NBA followers.
Nonetheless, KD believes it was unjust reporting on the publication’s half and ripped them aside in a latest interview.
“Yeah, I heard Ramona Shelburne come out and say our locker room is poisonous. I attempt to inform individuals who aren’t round this recreation a lot is that it’s simple to say our locker room just isn’t related once you are available there 45 minutes earlier than and guys are of their recreation mode and never speaking to one another,” Durant said.
He added: “4 or 5 guys could be within the coaching room, just a few guys could be within the weight room. It’s not a welcoming setting proper earlier than the sport. That’s a part of on the point of play.”
As Durant said, judging a dropping group’s locker room setting based mostly on a brief dialog is actually unfair to the Suns, particularly if the stated group is 26-26 for the season.
Taking part in for a franchise that has arguably top-of-the-line rosters on paper, however nonetheless being unable to win video games constantly actually makes the group weak to be judged by the media.
Durant claims it’s unfair, however there’s hardly something he can do about it.
“That’s the one time you’ve been in our locker room after which you can also make a story? I don’t suppose that’s honest to us, however like I stated, that’s part of the sport,” Durant continued.
“A part of the enterprise we signed up for. ____ just isn’t honest on this recreation, however we received to cope with it and settle for it,” the 36-year-old concluded.
Will Durant’s public call-out end in an apology from ESPN’s Shelburne? Or will his feedback be additional blown out to handle the Suns’ poor season? Solely time will inform.