ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith blasts Nets star Kevin Durant

Stephen A. Smith of ESPN unleashed an epic rant about Brooklyn Nets superstar Kevin Durant on Monday’s episode of “First Take.” 

“Let me break this down for y’all. Kevin Durant arrives to the Brooklyn Nets in 2019, signs four years, $164 million. He had just torn his Achilles. They paid him $35 plus million a year just to come, knowing he wasn’t gonna play a single game.

"He’s Kevin Durant. He deserves it. I would have done the same thing without hesitation because this brother’s gonna go all day every day to be healthy. You don’t gotta worry about no load management, him sitting out finding excuses not to play. That’s not how he rolls. His integrity is not to be questioned in that regard, but he was paid. 

"So you missed the first season. The second season you come back, through no fault of your own, Kyrie gets hurt. James Harden gets hurt. You almost beat Milwaukee, can’t get it done. Monster performance, right? 

"This year, you got bounced out in the first round. You got swept. You were the only team in the entire postseason who got swept. That’s three years of basketball, and all I got to show for it is one playoff series victory.” 

Durant is not backing down from his desire to get traded by the Nets. Per recent reporting by The Athletic, he even told Nets owner Joe Tsai to choose between him or the pairing of coach Steve Nash and general manager Sean Marks.

Every move the Nets have made since signing Durant in 2019 has been in his best interest. Don't blame the Nets if they hold on to him until they get what they’re looking for in return.

On Monday, Durant denied rumors that he may retire over playing for Brooklyn.