Kevin Durant on criticizing media: ‘I made a mistake’

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant said Wednesday that he ‘made a mistake’ in regards to his rant about the media on Saturday.

Kevin Durant is not the new Marshawn Lynch.

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Despite the Oklahoma City Thunder star crushing the media in a lengthy rant on Saturday, Durant made clear on Wednesday that he still has a great relationship with the media and simply had a bad “moment.”

“Let’s be real. Let’s look at the whole thing. I’ve been in the league eight years. The media and myself have had a great relationship for eight years. And I said something, two days in a row I said something. Am I allowed to be upset one time? Am I allowed to be mad? Am I human? Do you look at me that way? Do you look at me as if I can’t say nothing wrong? We had great communication for eight years and it’s still that way,” Durant said, via Royce Young of the Daily Thunder.

“I had a moment. Everybody in life has moments. You had one for sure before but it’s not broadcasted like mine. I was more so trying to take up for my teammates, my coach and other guys in the league that gets scrutinized and I don’t like. Maybe I should shut up about it. I had one moment. What made more mad than anything I was told I bite the hand that feeds me. I don’t know what that means. I really don’t know what that means. I wish someone would explain it to me. But I don’t remember none of you guys being there when I was eight years old and putting in that work, the nights when I’m in here putting in that work in. So I don’t really understand what that one means. But, hey, I gotta roll with it. That’s a part of it. I was told I shouldn’t cry cause everybody been through it. So I’m going to shut up.”

Durant later added that he will work on being more “respectable” to the media and that he “made a mistake” with his rant.

There’s probably a lesson to be learned for all parties here. The media needs to not overreact to one outburst from Durant when he had a fine relationship with them for the previous eight seasons. It’s certainly understandable why Durant would be frustrated with all the character-attacking that’s been done of him following the rant when considering that aspect of the situation.

And Durant can learn that lashing out in public like he did is never the right move. He created a mini-controversy that he’s been forced to live through since Saturday when he simply could have stated his view points in a respectful manner and avoided all of this.

Durant is averaging 25.9 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game this season.

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