Charles Barkley harshly attacked the Nets star after the drama surrounding Kevin Durant’s trade request, which has since been withdrawn. The two-time Finals MVP failed as a leader and could not lead a team to success as the best player.
“He let the Warriors carry him to his two championships,” Barkley said in an interview Arizona Sports Radio before really launching his criticism: “But if you look at his career, as the best player and leader of a team, he’s a miserable failure.”
After joining the Golden State Warriors in 2016, Durant won two championships alongside Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Co., both times he was named Finals MVP. After tearing his Achilles tendon in 2019, he joined the Brooklyn Nets, but has not had any sporting success since then. Instead, Brooklyn was ruled by the drama surrounding the anti-vaccination Kyrie Irving, the short and unsuccessful James Harden chapter and KD’s trade demand this summer.
“Every time he had to be the leader and the best player on a team, he didn’t succeed,” continued Barkley. “That’s what we old players think of him. I call him Mr. Miserable, he will never be happy. Everything was presented to him on a silver platter.”
“He was the star in Oklahoma City, everyone loved him, he pretty much owned the entire state. He let them down, won two titles and he’s still not happy,” Barkley said. “Then he goes to Brooklyn, they give him everything he wants and he’s still miserable.”
The NBA legend, who has been an expert on for many years TNT has been critical of Durant on a number of occasions in the past. KD himself has often shot back verbally. In purely sporting terms, the 33-year-old knew how to convince last season with 29.9 points, 7.4 rebounds and 6.4 assists on average, but the Nets were over in the first playoff round after a 0-4 against Boston.
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