'Succeeding in Sports Betting': Kevin Durant Explains Why He Heckles Reckless Fans Over Ill-Advised Gambling

Not every NBA superstar shares the same mentality. Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant didn’t want to surround himself with any distractions. Kevin Durant, on the other hand, isn’t shy about interacting with fans on social media whenever he has free time. One of his favorite topics is sports betting.

Player accessibility is at an all-time high, thanks to the growth of social media. It only takes a couple of seconds to message an athlete on Instagram or comment on one of their X posts. The majority of NBA stars use their social media platforms for business, and Durant doesn’t hesitate to join in on the fun.

The newly acquired Houston Rocket has become a prominent figure on X. Durant enjoys the discourse that comes with talking about basketball. But he also appreciates putting fans in their place when they talk out of line toward him.

Most of those instances come when fans lash out about unfulfilled sports bets. Durant iconically addressed the criticism he receives from angry sports fans in a viral X post in 2023.

“When I get ya paid, u don’t DM me and send a small percentage to my cashapp but when them parlays don’t hit, I’m every name in the book. Y’all ain’t real,” Durant said.

It may seem from the way he talks to fans that Durant doesn’t like sports betting. However, his heckling of those fans doesn’t come from disinterest; it comes from care.

“I want to see you succeeding in sports betting,” Durant said on a collaborative discussion panel between Boardroom and FanDuel. “A lot of people are just emotional when they put these bets in, and a lot of times they’re not doing the research.”

Even Durant understands sports betting isn’t as simple as looking at the box score. For example, just because Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging over 30 points per game doesn’t mean there’s a guarantee he’ll score that much in his next game.

People need to look at the stats of the team the player is facing. How does this opposing team defend against players of SGA’s position? What type of shots do they give up the most to perimeter players? These are all big indicators of whether or not a bet will prevail.

Durant understands what’s on the line for these people, especially considering the amount of money that is at stake sometimes. “I’m just holding people accountable. It’s a part of the experience. They get to be heckled by me,” Durant said.

Whatever the subject matter may be, the dynamic between player and fan that social media has developed is beautiful. Durant is one of the founding athletes to cherish this relationship and push it to new stages of evolution. Although his intentions are good, it won’t stop him from calling out poor bets, even if he comes off a bit too harsh.