Kevin Durant didn't hold back after Scottie Pippen threw shade his way
Kevin Durant clapped back at Scottie Pippen after the Chicago Bulls legend's criticism of the Nets' superstar rubbed him the wrong way.
Six-time NBA champion Pippen shared his candid thoughts about Durant and his performance in Game 7 against the Milwaukee Bucks in a new interview with GQ.
"It’s not an individual game, you can’t go into basketball and beat nobody with an individual record," Pippen said. "And I used this example of what happened to Kevin Durant just the other day: this is the first time we’ve ever really seen Kevin Durant have to be the man and bring the team home. We ain’t never really had to see that because he’s had [Russell] Westbrook, [Stephen] Curry, Klay [Thompson]. … But you put KD in Brooklyn, and Kyrie [Irving] gets hurt and James Harden ain’t that guy, now KD not only has to score for them but also make plays for them.
"But when you’re leading the troops, you gotta know how to lead and win. And KD, as great as his offense was, it turned out to be his worst enemy because he didn’t know how to play team basketball when it came down to it. He kept trying to go punch for punch."
On Thursday, Durant fired back at the Hall of Famer on social media, pointing out what he believes is a classic case of the pot calling the kettle black, given that Pippen also didn't lead his team to victory as a one-man show.
Durant is, of course, referring to Pippen's decision to sit out the final 1.8 seconds of the Bulls' Game 3 against the New York Knicks in the second round of the 1994 playoffs, when he was passed over for the final shot in favor of Toni Kukoc, which drew widespread disapproval at the time.
Years later, Pippen injured his ankle toward the end of the 1996-97 season, and doctors suggested that he undergo surgery over the summer to repair the damage. However, Pippen — who was beefing with the Bulls’ front office at the time due to a contract negotiation — opted to wait and underwent surgery in October, which led him to miss the first 35 games of the "Last Dance" season of 1997-98.
Nevertheless, Pippen continued his criticism of the two-time NBA champion, detailing why he considers Durant to be inferior to Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James.
"And this is no knock to KD, but they asked me, ‘Has he surpassed LeBron James?’ And my answer was: LeBron James knows team basketball better than KD. KD can score better than LeBron, probably always have been able to. But has he surpassed LeBron? Naw. He tried to beat the Milwaukee Bucks instead of utilizing his team. You see what I’m saying? LeBron James would’ve figured out how to beat them, and he wouldn’t have been exhausted, and he may not have taken the last shot. But LeBron ain’t KD, and KD ain’t LeBron. KD is a shooter, a scorer. But he doesn’t have what LeBron has."
It's clear that Pippen didn't hold back, but is he being a hypocrite with his comments on Durant's stardom?
On Friday's "Speak For Yourself," Marcellus Wiley shared why he thinks Pippen shouldn't be coming for the Nets star, arguing that Durant's comeback was perfect for the situation.
"I love this dude so much, man," Wiley proclaimed. "Scottie Pippen, you picked the wrong one of all players. One, because of his greatness. This is Kevin Durant! Pick on Acho-Wiley level players, not Kevin Durant. Two, don’t you know this dude? He ain’t even petty, and I hate when people call him petty. He just responds properly. … Kevin Durant just says if you come at me, I’m coming back at you. That is an admirable trait.
"If you clap, I’m gonna look at you with some judgment. … Kevin Durant was playing ball, taking his loss — even though he was ballin’ out of control — Scottie Pippen was doing whatever Scottie Pippen does. … I look at all ‘clappers’ like, ‘Are you clout chasing?,' ‘Do you got an issue?,' ‘Are you happy with life?,' ‘Why you clapping?’ But I don’t look at ‘clapbackers’ the same way."
Meanwhile, on "First Things First," FOX Sports NBA Analyst Chris Broussard was on the same page as Pippen in regard to Durant's inability to lead his team to the Finals as a one-man show. However, he ultimately said Pippen's jabs at the 11-time All-Star's teamwork were unwarranted.
"I agree with Scottie … when he said ‘KD still has to learn how to will a team to victory.' He has not proven that. That’s the one thing left for him to prove … but in this GQ article, Scottie went too far," Broussard said.
"To almost blame that Game 7 loss on Kevin Durant. I mean, Kevin Durant was spectacular, and to say he has to utilize his teammates — his teammates weren’t giving him any help. … Kevin Durant has always been a team player, maybe to a fault. … I just think [Pippen] went too far … and then when you throw shots like this, you gotta be ready to take them back."
However, on Friday's "Undisputed," Shannon Sharpe said Pippen's remarks were right on the money, and he doesn't think Pippen was going for the jugular the way Durant did – but it's all fair nonetheless.
"Sometimes when you offer a critique of a player … it comes out as you ‘hating’ or you don’t know what you’re talking about," Sharpe began. "But I think what Scottie Pippen is trying to say is that they are two different players. LeBron James has been asked to do a lot more than Kevin. Kevin’s been asked to score, and he’s done that at an elite level.
"And we know Kevin Durant was gonna respond because if he feels like you’re taking a swipe at him, he’s gonna take one at you."
It's safe to say Pippen's comments made Durant feel some type of way, and regardless of who was in the right, the sports world couldn't get enough of their exchange.
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