Kevin Durant broke a 9-day silence to bash the media over free agency speculation: ‘I just don’t trust none of y’all’

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Golden State superstar Kevin Durant addressed the media for the first time in nine days after the Warriors’ 141-102 victory over the San Antonio Spurs Wednesday night.
Durant slammed journalists — one by name — for engaging in speculation over his impending free agency.
The nine-time NBA All-Star has recently been linked to the New York Knicks, who traded franchise cornerstone Kristaps Porzingis to the Dallas Mavericks in an attempt to clear cap space ahead of free agency this summer.
Check out the full video of Durant’s postgame press conference below:

Kevin Durant is not happy with his media coverage.

The nine-time NBA All-Star hadn’t spoken publicly in nine days, but when he finally broke his silence with a press conference after the Golden State Warriors 141-102 rout of the San Antonio Spurs Wednesday night, he ripped the media for engaging in speculation over his impending free agency.

"Y’all come in here every day and ask me about free agency," Durant said. "You ask my teammates, my coaches, you rile up the fanbase about it. Let us play basketball, that’s all I’m saying. Now when I don’t want to talk to [the media] it’s a problem with me … Grow up."

"I just don’t trust none of y’all," Durant said. "Every time I say something it’s getting twisted up and thrown out and in so many different publications, trying to tear me down with my words that I say. So when I don’t say nothing, it’s a problem. I just wanna play ball. I wanna go to the gym and go home. That’s all. Is that a problem? All right then."

In June 2018, Durant signed a two-year, $61 million contract with the Warriors that included a player option, allowing him to hit free agency this upcoming summer. While the player option grants Durant a lot of flexibility, it has also caused some serious issues amongst his current squad. In November, Draymond Green and Durant had a public blow-up when Green accused Durant of being ready to leave the Warriors, claiming the Warriors didn’t need him anyway.

With his future with Golden State far from certain and free agency talk heating up ahead of Thursday’s NBA trade deadline, rumors about potential landing spots for the 6-foot-9 sharpshooter have intensified considerably. When the New York Knicks traded franchise cornerstone Kristaps Porzingis to the Dallas Mavericks in an attempt to clear enough cap space for two max contracts, Durant’s name was instantaneously linked with the league’s worst team.

"I have nothing to do with the Knicks," Durant said. "I don’t know who traded Porzingis. They have nothing to do with me. I’m trying to play basketball."

Durant didn’t stop there. He directly targeted The Athletic’s Ethan Strauss regarding his article about the two-time NBA champion’s "presumed exit" from the Warriors this summer.

"It’s unnecessary," Durant said. "You got a dude, Ethan Strauss, who comes in here and just gives his whole opinion on stuff and makes it seem like it’s coming from me. And he just walks around here, don’t talk to nobody, just walk in here and survey and write something like that, and now you gotta pile on me because I don’t wanna talk to y’all about that."

When one journalist tried to pivot to Wednesday night’s game, Durant announced "I’m done, you know you don’t care about that" and abruptly left the podium.

Check out Durant’s full postgame comments below:

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Source: Business Insider