Kevin Durant isn't the NBA's most popular player. He has an atmosphere of loving him or hating him and is certainly one of the most polarized superstars in the league.
However, Durant didn't always do that. In his youth, he gave the impression of a meek, mild-mannered man. So much so that Nike even launched a "KD Bad Boy" campaign to change his reputation and make him a more ruthless competitor. Since then, things have gone a bit overboard, and since then he has had some conflicts with some former teammates. Some of them are collected below for your personal enjoyment.
1. Kendrick Perkins
Kendrick Perkins is undoubtedly Durant's biggest opponent in the NBA — not just former teammates, but the league as a whole (and even every basketball star).
The two had been teammates with the Oklahoma Thunder for four years, but their bickering began after they worked together. In 2016, when Durant decided to sign with the Golden State Warriors, Perkins said it was "the most modest move in history." Durant saw it as an attack on Perkins personally and accused Perkins of under-contributing to the Thunder during his time at Oklahoma.
Recently, the two men got into a fight on Twitter again. Durant stepped forward to defend Brooklyn Nets teammate Kyrie Irving, and Perkins harshly criticized Irving for his reluctance to support the NBA's idea of a resumption in Florida. Durant called Perkins a "betrayer," which caused Perkins to cry when interviewed by Stephen A. Smith.
2. Russell Weisbrook
Durant and Russell Westbrook were once one of the NBA's most powerful combinations when they were with the Thunder. In 2012, the two players led Oklahoma to the memorable Finals.
The two men also have a very close personal relationship, which is why Westbrook was so angry when Durant decided to leave the Thunder to join their biggest rival, the Warriors. This led to several fierce encounters on the basketball court, some of which seemed to have gotten out of control if it were not for the intervention of other players on the court.
3. Drummond Green
This is undoubtedly the most explosive confrontation of Durant's career. Curiously, his teammate Draymond Green also encountered this situation when he was with the Warriors.
Green wasn't happy with a certain game, and as an outspoken man, he didn't hesitate to blast Durant in front of all his teammates.
Things got so bad that the Warriors' management had to step in. They banned Green twice, and Green himself refused to apologize to Durant for what he said during the heated clashes. Many believe this is one of the main reasons Durant chose to part ways with the Warriors in 2019. So far, there is no indication that the two men have solved the problem.
4. Stephen Curry
There is no doubt that Durant has great respect for Stephen Curry. These two men — and, of course, other players — dominated the entire NBA in Oakland's game. It also brought back-to-back championships to Durant and the Warriors.
However, there are reports that Durant is actually jealous of Curry's time with his teammates. In fact, Durant has called on the media to "go and shoot Curry's ass", and you might think that Durant knew he would become Curry's deputy when he joined the Warriors, right? Apparently, Durant doesn't fully agree with this view.
Interestingly, when Durant was asked about the 5 best teammates in his history, he also excluded Curry. Unsurprisingly, Irving defeated the front-to-back MVP winner.
5. Steven Adams
Remember durant's "SMH" when the Thunder signed Steven Adams in 2013? Durant may have deleted the tweet quickly, but that in itself is a clear indication of how their relationship began.
A few years later, Adams published an autobiography in which he unabashedly accused Durant of his many shortcomings during his time with his teammates. It's safe to say that these two guys don't like each other very much.
6. Inés Kante
Ines Kanter is one of the biggest "trolls" in the league, so when Durant decides to attack his former teammates, you can be sure he annoyed Durant.
When Durant attacked him in droves on Twitter, Kanter attacked him several times through Twitter. At one point, Kanter even asked a Thunder fan to burn his Durant jersey.