Kevin Durant scored 39 points in the Nets’ Game 4 loss to the Boston Celtics that ended Brooklyn’s season, and despite his big scoring night, the first-round series was one to forget for the former MVP.
Durant averaged a respectable 26.3 points per game in the series, but he was unusually inefficient from the floor thanks to the Celtics’ defense. Durant shot just 39.4 percent from the field, and averaged 5.3 turnovers per game.
In a discussion on TNT, Charles Barkley called out KD, arguing that a “great, great” player shouldn’t be limited by a defense. Barkley went on to devalue Durant’s championship rings with the Golden State Warriors, calling him a “bus rider” rather than the driver of the bus.
Kenny Smith: "You don't think [Kevin Durant] was the best player on the Warriors?"
Charles Barkley: "No, I do not."
Kenny: "He was the best player."
Chuck: "He got MVP. He wasn't the best player. Iguodala wasn't the best player, he got MVP."
😳😳pic.twitter.com/LOjnZG2pT2
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) April 24, 2022
On Tuesday, following the Nets’ elimination, Durant responded to Barkley on Instagram, posting photos of Barkley alongside his Hall of Fame teammates in Philadelphia and Houston, seemingly insinuating that Barkley wasn’t the bus driver on either team.
KD’s IG story throwing shade at Charles Barkley 👀 pic.twitter.com/BDPNU88cGs
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 26, 2022
KD continues to go after Charles Barkley pic.twitter.com/WUtuaK8TSp
— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) April 26, 2022
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