Charles Barkley: Kevin Durant’s tough guy persona ‘doesn’t work’

“Kevin Durant is just a really nice guy trying to be a bad guy,” Barkley recently told Sports Illustrated's Ben Golliver. “You can’t do that. It doesn’t work. He spends all his time trying to prove to people how tough and bad he is. He’s so worried about what other people say. Kevin Durant is a great player and a great kid. I was one of those guys who criticized him for going to Golden State, but he doesn’t have to respond every time someone says something about it.”

Durant has had a handful of run-ins on social media during his tenure with the Warriors, exhibiting a sensitivity to critics who believe he was chasing rings by joining an already-loaded Golden State squad. Things came to a head again last week, only this time it involved a social media beef with Portland Trail Blazers guard C.J. McCollum, who just had Durant on his podcast.

After his latest social media meltdown, Durant blamed the media for trying to portray him as “insecure” saying, “I know y’all trying to make me look crazy and discredit me and strip me of my credibility.”

Barkley, no stranger to calling them as he sees them, arguably hits the nail right on the head when it comes to Durant’s fake tough guy persona. It will be interesting to see if Durant has something to say in response to Barkley’s assessment. Either way, Durant would be better served letting his actions speak for themselves, as he seems to do a great job on that front.