Maybe it’s the nagging injuries, the free-agency rumors, the battle for a playoff spot in the brutal Western Conference or Anthony Davis making impossible game-winning shots in his face, but Kevin Durant has seemed a little on edge lately.
The Thunder star is known for his smooth scoring style, which allows him to routinely score 30 points and make it appear effortless. While that has continued, he has also added a nice amount of trash talk to his repertoire, both on and off the court.
Here are some examples from the past couple of weeks:
Durant mocked former ESPN reporter Chris Palmer, who questioned the Thunder’s decision to re-sign big man Nick Collison for two years and $8 million.
Foot and toe injuries have limited Durant to 25 games. He was surprisingly not voted into the All-Star Game by fans, but coaches did include him as a reserve, over the likes of (eventual injury subs) DeMarcus Cousins and Damian Lillard.
Does anybody have a problem with that?
“Whoever wants my spot can play me one-on-one for it,” Durant said.
That’s right out of the WWE playbook. No word on if “Mean” Gene Okerlund is the one who asked that question.
On the court — even from the bench — Durant has been just as vicious as the Thunder have pulled to within 1.5 games of the Suns for the last playoff spot in the West. On Sunday, after Chris Paul made a jump shot to cut the Thunder’s lead over the Clippers to 21, he decided to stare down the Oklahoma City bench.
Durant was captured in a wonderful Vine video rising off the Thunder bench and yelling: “You’re down 20 now, homie.”
Debate over.
In Monday night’s win over the Nuggets, there was some (new) vintage Evil Durant.
On his way to 40 points in Denver (on 19 shots!), Durant buried this absurd jumper and let out a “I’m a bad motherf—-r” on the way to the Thunder bench.
I’ll second that.
Durant also got a flagrant and a technical foul in the game for this shot and ball toss to the Nuggets’ Kenneth Faried.
Just don’t mess with him right now.
