Retired NBA legend Paul Pierce discussed Kevin Durant’s actions over the weekend when calling him for poor leadership. Durant missed Game 3 and Game 4 for the Houston Rockets in their first-round series against the Los Angeles Lakers. Despite sitting on the bench for Game 4, Durant was missing one game previously to call him out for not being with his team.
Pierce said the following on the No Fouls Given podcast with Danny Green about Durant not sitting on the bench:
“People always question KD’s leadership style. Sometimes (supporting your teammates) goes a long way. The guys look up to you and you’re not over there, kind of being an emotional cheerleader for them in the middle of the game. It empowers players. They look up to one of the greatest players who has ever played the game. To be on a young team, I feel like your presence has to be on bench.”
Pierce made some good points about Durant being the most successful player on a relatively young roster. Players like Jabari Smith and Amen Thompson grew up looking up to Durant as one of the best in the world during their childhood years. Durant has a lot of questions when it comes to his leadership, and his refusal to sit with the team in Game 3 made it worse.
Why Kevin Durant Didn’t Sit With Rockets
Rockets head coach Ime Udoka claimed that Durant was getting treatment and doing things related to his health during Game 3. However, Pierce and Green dispelled that being a valid reason for not sitting with your teammates during the most important game of the season.
Houston went down 0-3 and put themselves in a situation no team has ever come back from. A close overtime game could have gone either way, and maybe Durant’s presence on the bench giving some helpful tips may have made a difference.
Udoka defended his superstar, but the former NBA players claimed that Durant could have easily done that earlier in the day. The move was a bad look to get Durant more criticism from fans and former players around the league. Durant made sure to sit with the team for Game 4 when they pulled off a win to keep the season alive.
Why Kevin Durant’s Leadership Is Criticized
Durant often gets compared to all-time great NBA leaders LeBron James and Stephen Curry since all three have dominated for at least the past decade, but his leadership ranks him further behind them. The Golden State Warriors’ tenure is the only time Durant won an NBA Championship, where he joined a ready-made team.
Durant has since had terrible stints with the Brooklyn Nets, Phoenix Suns, and currently Houston, all saw him failing to put them over the top. Leadership has been called the biggest issue for teams that had immense talent falling short of their expectations.
Another failed season with an expected first-round series could see the Rockets re-thinking their future with Durant and making a move if needed. Durant is risking being the only top-15 all-time great NBA player who will get remembered as a bad leader.
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