Even Rockets fans can't defend Kevin Durant's latest social media antics

Kevin Durant has a history of getting into heated debates with fans online, but his most recent take could be his most egregious one yet. In an Instagram comment, Durant compared next season's 76ers roster to the superteam that he joined in Golden State during the 2016 offseason. His own fanbase can't even support him on this stance, since Rockets fans know all too well how unstoppable Durant made the Warriors alongside a unanimous MVP in Stephen Curry and other All-Stars.

Durant needs to accept his former superteam

KD is a legend in his own right, but he's seemingly never fully made peace with the public perception of his move to the Warriors ten years ago. Even relative to other superstar additions throughout NBA history, that signing is viewed differently because the Warriors had already won a record 73 regular-season games and advanced to Game 7 of the Finals the season before Durant joined.

He was clearly an All-NBA talent in his prime at the time, so adding him onto that squad almost made it unfair for every other team. Unsurprisingly, the Warriors won the next two championships and advanced to a 5th straight Finals in 2019 before losing that series due to injury. During Durant's tenure with the Warriors, they looked mostly unbeatable at full health except when they played the Rockets.

It's a great pride for the Houston faithful that their team pushed the supercharged Warriors like on one else could. In 2018, it was the Rockets rather than the Warriors who had the best record in the NBA and the two teams went 7 games in the Western Conference Finals. Unfortunately for the Rockets, they ultimately fell short in the epic series thanks to a poorly timed Chris Paul injury and a coach who refused to adjust his strategy, culminating in 27 straight missed threes.

For the Rockets, it was a miracle to be going toe-to-toe against one of the best basketball teams ever assembled. For the Warriors, it was business as usual with Durant, Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green leading the charge. Durant himself averaged 30 points per game in that series, and certainly gets underrated for his accomplishments in Golden State. But he also needs to accept the reality created by his fateful 2016 decision, which is far different from the 76ers situation heading into next season.

Even former teammates are being alienated

To make his convoluted point, Durant has been forced to downgrade the accomplishments of his former teammates. He referred to Thompson as "never an MVP candidate in nothing", an obvious jab meant to make the Warriors look like a more reasonable collection of talent. But that description obviously downplays Klay's ability and overlooks him as arguably the best 3-and-D player of all time.

At the same time, Durant also listed out Green's counting stats to make him seem lesser than his actual impact on the court. As a multi-time Defensive Player of the Year, Green's value comes mainly on the less glamorous end of the court, where counting stats don't show a player's impact as completely.

Durant's brief offseason foray shouldn't play any impact in the Rockets' locker room next season, but it's just a reminder that he can alienate teammates quickly when he takes an online argument too far. The Rockets need him to be a better leader for their young team than what he's showing online right now.

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