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Kevin Durant
Brooklyn Nets guard Dennis Schröder And Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant might have beef. After Team USA won gold, Schroder took a shot at Durant to tweet a photo of them with the caption “ENTERTAINMENT & IQ” after the victory.
Schröder responded to Durant’s post on a Twitch stream in an angry, no-holds-barred rant, and which ClutchPoints are aggregated.
“For me, it’s just weakness,” said Schröder, who is German. “You have to say something to a person like me, who didn’t even mean it to be negative. That’s just what I see from both sides. So, I didn’t appreciate it. I don’t care, but at the end of the day, that tweet or whatever he posted was because of me, and for me, it was never anything negative. I respect all those guys, all GOATs, but to say that shows me how weak he is as a person. That’s just the way it is, not everyone is strong, not everyone is in a good situation.”
Durant is known for stirring up trouble on Twitter, while Schröder is known for stirring up trouble with other NBA players, particularly during the Olympics and with his former teammates.
Kevin Durant’s tweet was in response to Schroder
Schröder’s Twitch post was a response to an earlier tweet from Durant about something Schröder said on Aug. 10, before Team USA won the gold medal by beating France.
Durant’s original tweet, posted after Team USA won the gold medal, was a not-so-subtle dig at Schroder, who had spoken about the difference between European and American basketball.
“European basketball is not entertainment” Schröder told reporters August 10. “It’s high-IQ basketball, high-IQ coaching and high-IQ guys who know how to play.”
Schröder has been in the NBA for over a decade and has established himself as a reliable player on several winning teams. However, he has never made an All-Star team and probably never will. The biggest individual accolade he has is being in the running for NBA MVP. Sixth Man of the Year in 2020.
But his play in international tournaments clearly shows that it’s a whole different kettle of fish. Schröder has always stood out for his play, so much so that previous tournaments have helped save his NBA career. Germany is usually among the United States’ best opponents in international tournaments, including the Olympics and FIBA.
Durant, however, has clearly disputed Schroder’s comments, saying the win proved it was all about entertainment and IQ. Durant has yet to respond to Schroder.
Kevin Durant and Dennis Schroder have never played together
Schröder joined the NBA six years after Durant. The two never played together, but they played for the same teams, albeit at different times.
Durant played for the Oklahoma City Thunder from 2008 to 2016. The following offseason, he left for the Golden State Warriorsand two years later, the Thunder acquired Schröder. Durant then played for the Nets from 2019 to 2023. The Nets acquired Schröder a year later, more or less after trading Durant to the Suns.
If this dispute continues, it is quite possible that the two players will never become teammates. At the same time, it should not be ruled out that Schröder will join Phoenix in the near future.
Matt John covers the NBA for Heavy.com. The Massachusetts native has been covering the NBA since 2018, with stints at The Sporting News, FanSided, Basketball News, and Basketball Insiders. Learn more about Matt John
