Kevin Durant is probably not headed to Atlanta next summer
By Cody Rivera
Kevin Durant is getting into it with heckling fans once again — this time in Atlanta.
Though he’s widely regarded as one of the best players in the NBA, with good reason, Kevin Durant isn’t exactly a fan favorite anywhere outside of Oakland, California.
Obviously, Golden State Warriors fans love him. But he’s done a pretty good job of alienating other fanbases, both with his strong play on the court and, occasionally, his approach to social media off the court.
One recent example is the Atlanta Hawks. With Durant set to hit free agency next summer, it’s hard to get a read on him regarding if he plans to re-sign with the Warriors or get a fresh start with a different franchise now that he has two championship rings, and potentially three after the 2018-19 season.
The Hawks, theoretically, could’ve been a possible destination for the former league MVP, but given the way Durant interacted with Hawks fans during Golden State’s game in Atlanta on Monday, it seems unlikely that he would receive a warm welcoming from them.
While waiting to inbound the ball, Durant was getting heckled by a few fans sitting courtside — not really anything unusual for the best player on visiting team. He then turned and addressed the fans directly before throwing the ball in.
“Watch the game and shut up!” Durant said.
We’ve seen Durant do these things before, and it’s a big reason why he’s taken a significant dip in popularity among NBA fans — coupled with the fact that he ditched the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2016 to jump to a Warriors team that had just won a record 73 games. Durant has also been known to get into arguments on social media with fans that question his toughness, and it’s probably not a great look for one of the league’s best players.
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It’s one thing trying to defend yourself to the media, which can be vicious at times. But defending yourself to Average Joe Basketball Fan? Durant probably should have better things to do with his time. Either way, we probably won’t see Durant sporting a Hawks jersey in 2019.