Kevin Durant was surprised by comments from current ESPN analyst and former teammate Kendrick Perkins regarding their shared tenure on the Oklahoma City Thunder.
After Perkins referred to himself as the one leading the Thunder during an appearance on NBA Today, the Phoenix Suns star responded on social media.
"I know this may be a reach but this comment is by far the craziest s--t I've seen this week," Durant wrote.
Durant and Perkins were teammates in Oklahoma City from the 2010-11 season through the middle of the 2014-15 season.
They've disagreed multiple times over the past few years, specifically regarding Durant's decision to join the Golden State Warriors as a free agent in 2016 after the Thunder lost to Golden State in the Western Conference Finals.
Perkins has continued to call out Durant's vocal leadership ability, specifically during a Feb. 2024 appearance on NBA Today as well as a Dec. 2023 appearance on the Pat McAfee Show.
While Perkins may have viewed himself as the leader on Thunder teams that also included Russell Westbrook and James Harden, Durant clearly disagrees.
The 36-year-old is currently in the midst on another impressive individual season with the Suns, earning his 14th All-Star selection. In 39 starts, Durant has averaged 26.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game on 52.4/39.8/82.7 shooting splits.
His name was involved in trade rumors prior to Thursday's deadline, though. ESPN's Shams Charania reported that there were "multiple teams" making "really aggressive calls" to Phoenix regarding Durant.
He ultimately remained with the Suns following the deadline at 3 p.m. ET.
While Durant may have been skeptical of some of the trade buzz throughout the week, nothing surprised him more than Perkins' claim regarding his Oklahoma City tenure.
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