NBA legend Julius ‘Dr J’ Erving has a bone to pick with Kevin Durant’s team hopping, and he let his feelings be known during an epic rant. The Hall of Famer isn’t happy with modern players’ tendency to force trades and try to form superteams, and this applies especially pointedly to Kevin Durant. In particular, Dr J criticized the disrespect toward fans these moves inherently entailed as well as the destruction of parity within the NBA because of players insisting on star-studded rosters.
While the original question about Lillard forcing a move from Portland, Dr J defended the Trail Blazers star’s decision and instead criticized Durant. Oldhead fans of the NBA have many complaints about modern players, but the one that seems to be the most repeated and lasting is the power and arrogance that star players have.
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Dr J asserted that star players on a roster hold too much power and too little respect for the city the Franchise represents and their fans. He then talked about Damian Lillard and how in this case it's justifiable because not only has Lillard spent a long time on the Train Blazers team, but has also legitimately tried to win a ring with Portland. The 73-year-old then aimed a dig at Kevin Durant and how many times he’s switched teams.
Speaking to Joy D’Angela in an interview, he said, “Wherever [Lillard] goes he will probably finish his career because of his age and the fact that he’s played 12, 13 years (in Portland). He wants to have a chance at winning a championship and he doesn’t think he’s gonna get it there, so that’s a good reason. But a guy 26 or 27 just wanting to hop around … look at how many times Durant has hopped around. No, for real, OKC, then Golden State, now he’s in Phoenix.”
Erving added, " The prisoners are running the show and not the warden. It's where the star player on the team is like, ‘Screw this city and all this support that they've given me and I'm going south, I'm going to Florida, I'm going to LA or I'm going to Texas or I'm going somewhere else. They're business decisions, understand, but they have not helped the game. "
Durant previously faced similar criticisms from another NBA legend Charles Barkley
When 11-time NBA All-Star Charles Barkley criticized Kevin Durant for being a “bus rider” and team-hopping to get rings, Durant responded in kind by sharing pictures of Barkley with the 76ers early in his career and with the Rockets later in his career with the caption “where would chuck be without the big homies”.
Durant is not one to be intimidated by criticism, nor is he one to let criticism go. For now, he hasn’t responded to Dr J’s rant, but going by history it seems like it is only a matter of time before he does.