Oct 28, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) against Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Ex-Lakers Forward Calls Out LeBron James, Kevin Durant After Michael Jordan Statement

Originally posted on Chicago Bulls on SI
By Logan Struck | Last updated Jul 11, 2025 12:00 PM ET

New Houston Rockets star forward Kevin Durant recently appeared on the Mind the Game show with LeBron James and Steve Nash, and a certain comment took many people by surprise. Durant has commonly shown love for Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan, but he seemingly took a shot at the argued GOAT.

"Every time you get better as a player, I truly feel that you've got to recommit and sign a contract with yourself every so often," Durant said. "Like, yeah, I'm 12 years in and I've got four MVPs and four championships, but do I still want to do this s**t? Some people say, 'I wanna go play baseball and then I wanna come back.' Others say I'm gonna go 22 [years] straight."

Of course, Michael Jordan left the NBA to pursue professional baseball for a couple of years before returning to basketball, which Durant makes an unexpected comment about here, and LeBron James laughed at it.

Retired 12-year NBA veteran and former Los Angeles Lakers forward Kwame Brown called out Durant and James for the comment and reaction.

"Kevin Durant, that statement was ignorant," Brown said. " Lebron, why the f**k you chuckling so hard when you supposedly a student of the game? Jordan won three championships in a row, he three-peated jacka****s, and his father got killed, murdered, that summer... MJ retired in October and dedicated himself to baseball, which is a sport his father wanted him to play, so that's why he played baseball... This is disgusting."

Brown goes all in on Kevin Durant, LeBron James, and Steve Nash, calling them out for being "ignorant" about Jordan's situation and why he really started playing baseball.

This article first appeared on Chicago Bulls on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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