Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

LeBron James' Friend Leaks DMs From Kevin Durant Amid Tense Exchange

Originally posted on Fadeaway World | By Gautam Varier | Last updated Sep 28, 2025 12:33 AM ET

Houston Rockets superstar Kevin Durant clashing with fans online is almost an everyday occurrence at this point. Durant relishes the back-and-forth exchanges, and he is now going after somewhat of a big name in Cuffs The Legend, LeBron James' friend.

Cuffs and Durant have been trading shots since Friday, when the former joked about his mental health being destroyed during the first two years that the latter was with the Golden State Warriors. That comment didn't go down too well with the 15-time All-Star, who fired quite a shot at James' friend.

"Sorry, Bums annoy me….your mental health is attached to LeBron James though, which is insane because you don’t hoop against him or nothing, your name is just cuffs…hahaha s*** be wild in 2025."

Durant ensured the situation was going to escalate with that post. Cuffs then responded by claiming that the 36-year-old has always been envious of James.

"I was just joking and being funny with the whole KD Warriors stacked deck mental health joke, but since we wanna take shots at the ones who’ve been supporting you.. You and I both know you ENVY LBJ.. You literally sent tons of messages & voice notes to Some Dude (for years) with jealousy in your heart about another man that you show all 32 teeth whenever you around him.. stop trying to show off for the internet little shoulder boy."

Durant stated that all he had sent were voice notes telling Cuffs that no one can guard him and that he needed to get over that decision to join the Warriors in 2016. That prompted James' friend to share some messages that Durant had sent to him previously.

ticking time bomb and they begging me to detonate it.. if i press this red button..dog.. everybody heaven gated.. press this red button.. dog.. and everything forever changes pic.twitter.com/0JhcWCF5Om
— 73-9 and THEY LIED (@CuffsTheLegend) September 27, 2025

Durant had put in memorable performances in Game 3 of the 2017 and 2018 NBA Finals against James' Cleveland Cavaliers. He hit the dagger three-pointer from almost the exact same spot in both of those games.

Durant had 31 points (10-18 FG), nine rebounds, four assists, one steal, and one block in Game 3 in 2017. While that was impressive, he was even better a year later.

Durant put up 43 points (15-23 FG), 13 rebounds, seven assists, one steal, and one block in 2018 and was at his destructive best. Considering the stakes, this was probably his best game as a Warrior.

Those are certainly two games that James wouldn't be all too interested in watching back. Durant, though, dismissed these messages as just him trolling Cuffs and called him out for disrespecting NBA players.

"Oops, I trolled the superfan about his team losing. The same guy who disrespects mad NBA players names, a guy who was a 5’9 small forward that played his last game of ball on high school senior night in 1999…"

Cuffs claimed these were all lies. He denied disrespecting anyone and stated he had only joked about NBA players the way everyone seems to do online.

It is quite incredible how one joke led to all of this. You do have to be careful when you talk about Durant online because he won't shy away from calling you out.

This article first appeared on Fadeaway World and was syndicated with permission.

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