“That's called propaganda” — Kevin Durant mocks Stephen A Smith’s presidential ambitions

The Phoenix Suns superstar Kevin Durantfound himself in the middle of another media storm as he was embroiled in a clash with ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, who recently made headlines for his public spat with LeBron James. But unlike LeBron’s courtside confrontation, Durant took the digital route, calling out Smith while mocking the analyst’s presidential ambitions.

Stephen A. Smith once floated the idea of running for President of the United States in 2028. That didn’t sit well with Durant, especially after Smith commented that Durant “is not a leader.” KD didn’t mince words, firing back on X, “Steve is trying to run for president, u think he actually paid attention to a struggling team?? It’s called propaganda.”

Durant’s jab was a clear reference to the Suns’ rough season. Phoenix, despite boasting a superstar trio, missed the playoffs with a 36-46 record. But to KD, Smith was more focused on headline-grabbing ambitions than actually watching the games.
Smith didn’t take long to respond. On ESPN’s First Take, he addressed Durant’s comments with a mix of dismissal and diplomacy. “Are we allowed to say anything?” Smith asked. “There’s a residue of crumbs all over the place about things that have transpired in the career of Kevin Durant. We might question things here and there, but nobody disrespects this man. I love the guy. I don’t disrespect him. I’m simply saying, elements of leadership that other people may have had to galvanize a team is something that he doesn’t seem to have.”

He added, “You can’t say anything. Former players, present players, coaches, teammates, media, nobody can talk about this guy…I don’t give a damn what KD says. I got nothing but love for KD. I know that’s a good brother, he’s just a bit sensitive.”
While Smith brushed off the critique, others came to Durant’s defense. ESPN analyst and former NBA forward Marcus Morris, who knows Durant personally, weighed in on First Take as well. “Durant leads in different ways you can’t see all the time,” Morris said. “Behind the scenes, he is a leader.”
Durant extended the debate on that sentiment when engaging with a fan who mocked his leadership. “I think I’m one of the greatest leaders of all time. It’s a shame u can’t see it,” Durant commented on X.

The Smith-Durant saga follows closely on the heels of Smith’s tense exchange with LeBron James. Their conflict escalated when Smith made comments about LeBron’s son, Bronny James. That led to an in-person confrontation at a Lakers game, making headlines of its own. Smith has since said the Durant situation is not the same, noting, “I don’t have beef with KD. Things with LeBron are different.”
Durant’s Suns tenure remains up in the air, with offseason trade rumors swirling. He finished the season averaging 26.6 points over 62 games.
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Certainly, Durant has been one of the boldest superstars in the league, who often grabs headlines for his elusive remarks on many issues— one of which includes his stance on American basketball players vs the rest of the world, Durant previously claimed that American basketball athletes are far superior to the rest.