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Stephen A. Smith Issues Response to Kevin Durant After One-Word Jab

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | Last updated Jun 6, 2025 12:51 PM ET

Phoenix Suns superstar Kevin Durant is set to join his fifth franchise in his illustrious career this offseason, as it's expected he will be traded by the team.

After spending eight seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Durant has been quite involved in player movement. The 15-time All-Star left the Golden State Warriors and asked for a trade from the Brooklyn Nets.

However, the Suns nearly traded Durant without warning. This time, it wasn't on the all-time forward's terms.

Regardless, Durant is typically involved with the drama in the league, whether it be player movement or back-and-forths online.

Recently, Durant responded to ESPN pundit Stephen A. Smith, and his claim that the NBA will ditch All-Star weekend if the players don't take the USA vs. World game seriously.

"Dramatic," Durant said of Smith's claim.

Adam Silver, ahead of the NBA Finals, revealed that the revised contest will be coming to the league during next year's All-Star weekend.

Smith, of course, is going to lean into the theatrics of getting a response from Durant. On ESPN's "First Take," Smith fired back an argument.

"It has been egregious. ... The fans have been turned off. Legends of the game have been turned off," Smith argued. "...You can't come on the basketball court and give less effort than you would give in a damn workout in the summer. You can't do that to people."

.@stephenasmith responds to Kevin Durant calling his NBA All-Star Game comments "dramatic."

"It has been egregious. ... The fans have been turned off. Legends of the game have been turned off. ... You can't come on the basketball court and give less effort than you would… pic.twitter.com/r3O7q75gPY
— First Take (@FirstTake) June 6, 2025

Evidently, Smith isn't wrong in the fact that fewer and fewer fans are caring about the All-Star Game. There's no excitement to it. It hasn't been a good product.

The NBA has aimed to make changes to the event to make it more intriguing.

They haven't worked. Something big needs to change.

The idea of the USA vs. World game comes after the NHL's strong "Four Nations Faceoff" results, which saw many non-hockey fans tuned into the games.

The passion and pride behind the games were insane. Evidently, it's hard to assume the NBA will see the same results.

It'd be nice for the event to be a hit, especially for Silver, as the commissioner has tried many tweaks.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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