Brooklyn Nets head coach Steve Nash talks with small forward Kevin Durant (7) during the third quarter against the Atlanta Hawks at Barclays Center. Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Steve Nash once told Kevin Durant to be more like LeBron James

Originally posted on Game 7 | By Charles Kruger | Last updated 7/6/21

Kevin Durant’s affinity for getting into various online feuds is an accepted part of his brand now. Whether the 32-year-old is beefing with Z-list actors or torching ESPN personalities, his phone has been known to land him in the headlines.

Recently, fans have been gaining a better understanding of how Durant processes things and makes decisions thanks to Matt Sullivan’s Can’t "Knock The Hustle," a behind-the-scenes look at the Brooklyn Nets’ 2019-20 season.

During a recent interview, Sullivan revealed the bit of advice then-Warriors consultant, now Nets head coach Steve Nash had once tried to give Durant regarding being so active on social media with his detractors.

It was quite poignant.

“You know what I respect about LeBron?” Nash reportedly said.

“I respect the fact that when he got to Miami and he got sick of the narratives, sick of the haters, all the talk. You know what he did? LeBron just said f--- it and was great. Same with Michael, same with Kobe. Same with all the greats. They all had to say f--- it and then they were all on that next level. So you know what you gotta do? You just gotta say ‘f--- it’ like LeBron did.”

Of course, Durant didn’t heed that advice.

“You could just see the strain on his face that third year on the Warriors,” Sullivan said. “He was staring at that phone all the time.”

Durant’s online behavior is so ingrained with his public persona at this juncture that nothing surprises folks anymore.

Obviously, Durant is so great at what he does that none of this chatter matters, but it’s still fascinating that one of the greatest basketball players of all time has this innate online troll-ness in him that he simply can’t shake.

This article first appeared on Game 7 and was syndicated with permission.

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