Kevin Durant called out Scottie Pippen from some of the things he said about him in a recent interview. Pippen spoke to GQ to promote his new bourbon and memoir. He talked about Durant’s performance in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. The Brooklyn Nets star scored 48 points but accidentally stepped on the line during what would have been the game-winning three, which would have sent the Nets to the Eastern Conference Finals. Pippen talked about what’s wrong with Durant’s game and said he’s no LeBron James.
“KD, as great as his offense was, it turned out to be his worst enemy because he didn’t know how to play team basketball,” Pippen said. “He kept trying to go punch for punch.” The Chicago Bulls legend went on to say that James would have found a better way to help his team win. “Have you ever seen LeBron take a shot like that? He ain’t gonna take that shot. He’s gonna be smarter. … LeBron would have figured out how to beat them and wouldn’t have been exhausted and he may not have taken the last shot. LeBron ain’t KD, and KD ain’t LeBron.”
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Durant fired back at Pippen on Twitter: “Didn’t the great Scottie Pippen refuse to go in the game for the last-second shot because he was in his feelings his coach drew up the play for a better shooter??” Durant wrote. And in another Tweet, Durant added: This guy Scott also wanted to enjoy his summer so he chose to rehab during the season lol yo [Scottie Pippen] THEY FOLLOWED PHIL, NOT YOU!!!”
Durant was referring to Pippen sitting out for the last play of Game 3 in the 1994 playoff series between the Bulls and the New York Knicks. He was mad because the play wasn’t drawn up for him, but the team won the game as Toni Kukoc hit the game-winner. It was something that was featured in the docuseries The Last Dance.
Despite the playoff disappointment, Durant is arguably the best player in the NBA right now. Before joining the Nets in 2019 Durant spent three seasons with the Golden State Warriors and helped the team win two NBA Championships. He spent his first 11 seasons with the Seattle SuperSonics/Oklahoma City Thunder and won the MVP award in 2014.
