The discussion (which doesn't seem anywhere near as confrontational as the transcript):
The online aftermath:
In a lot of ways, this is the perfect representation of NBA beef in 2018. Nothing said by Kevin Duration in that podcast snippet was false, but just laughing off how insulting it was to the person hosting said podcast was a perfect example of the aggressive passiveness that has come to govern face-to-face confrontations in professional basketball. Yet, if Petty Crocker had a favorite play, it just might be C.J. McCollum letting his frustration bake until he was afforded the safety of his online kitchen before putting the icing on that "cupcake"-esque jabs. Now, let me be clear, I think both players look extremely dumb for rehashing an overdone argument that's only more annoying than it is ancient at this point. That being said, as has become a bi-monthly occurrence in the offseason, Kevin Durant learned a valuable lesson in responding to his critics. That lesson was, of course, don't tell another grown man to get out of his feelings when you're constantly up to your next in your own. C.J. McCollum's over-the-top example was probably uncalled for, but you throw the first stone from the glass house in which you spend your free time arguing with teenage meme makers and you aren't risking a mere crack in your siding in return, but rather a full-blown shattering of the insecure estate in which you take up residence. The unflattering portrayal of a back-to-back NBA Finals MVP as both a traitor and a coward was definitely type slick, but can't consider C.J. McCollum a "snake" without accept responsibility for intentionally shaking his rattle. The Blazers' guard probably should have done it into the mic, as that would've made for an incredible listen, but there's no innocent victim in this squabble of star athletes acting like 7th grade girls. To put it both simply and quite obviously, Kevin Durant isn't built for the back-and forth. Therefore, it's probably in his best interest to avoid doing the podcast equivalent of patting an NBA All-Star on the head before telling him to go play outside and stop worrying about the grown folks' business. The biggest issue with KD going to Golden State has always been that playing the bad guy isn't in his DNA. That doesn't mean he was wrong in punching down, but it does mean that he wasn't ready for the reactionary upper-cut after failing to acknowledge that he up and left a somewhat similar situation in OKC...
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