Houston Rockets star Kevin Durant has never been one to shy away from speaking his mind on social media or in public. During a recent appearance on The Pivot podcast, the 15-time All-Star addressed a topic he’s long been vocal about. How some former athletes in sports media talk about today’s top players as if they’ve walked in the same shoes.
Durant said he takes issue with ex-players who, in his view, overstep their experience. Especially when analyzing the mentality or approach of all-time greats.
“I don’t like the arrogance of a lot of these guys that may have had a cup of tea in the league. They speak on the mentality of great players,” Durant said. “How are you supposed to become great? What would you do in a situation where you’re the best player on the team? The way they talk, they’ve never been the best player. You’ve never walked through the situation before when the whole scouting report is tailored to stop you.”
Durant’s perspective underscores a larger tension in sports media — the balance between critique and credibility. Many of the industry’s most recognizable voices are former players. While that background often brings insight, Durant believes it can also lead to misplaced confidence when discussing elite-level challenges.
He said part of his motivation in speaking out comes from a desire to “check” commentators who may overstate their understanding of what greatness requires.
“There’s a lot that goes into turning being great every single day,” Durant continued. “So when people who never had to be that [level of player] speak to the masses of people who take what you say as law. When you’ve never been in that situation. I like to be the guy to remind you that there’s guys who have actually been in that situation.”
Durant added that as athletes transition into media roles, the corporate spotlight can sometimes distort their perspective.
“When you get that title and they hand you that check. You work for Disney and Fox and all these big corporations, and really feel like bigger than what you are sometimes,” he said. “You can get lost in that.”
Still, Durant said his goal isn’t to tear anyone down but to promote more thoughtful commentary from those with a platform.
“I gotta just let you know, you’re coming at this a little different,” Durant said. “I think you can help the community a little better with what you say in that position that you want to use.”
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