Charles Barkley Calls Kevin Durant 'Sensitive' And 'Abject Failure'; KD Responds
"Inside the NBA's" Charles Barkley can't help but speak the blunt truth, especially on the latest episode of "60 Minutes."
The NBA legend, who's led an equally successful career in broadcasting, touched on several buzzing topics in the league. One person he notably called out, in typical Chuck fashion, was Kevin Durant.
NBA's Player-Driven League Fuels Guys Like Durant
On the program, Barkley called out Durant for being too sensitive toward outside criticism. Barkley painted that level of softness among NBA players as a broader issue of today's league.
From LeBron James to KD to Ja Morant, the NBA has become a full-fledged players' league that caters to the athlete, per Commissioner Adam Silver's lenient command.
(Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)
(Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
With the NBA's brand of star-driven appeal, guys like Durant are given an image that, when challenged, provokes the athlete.
From alleged burner accounts to calling his critics "idiots," Durant's response to the media has been strong.
“He’s very sensitive,” Barkley said regarding Durant on Sunday's episode. “Great player. He’s part of that generation who thinks he can’t be criticized. He’s never looked in the mirror and said, ‘Man, was that a fair criticism?”
The 13-time All-Star caught Barkley's critiques Sunday night and predictably responded, "This ain’t gettin' tiring chuck? I’ll never respect the words that come out ya mouth fam just deal with it."
Durant Needs To Win A Chip On His Own, Says Charles Barkley
Durant has often been criticized for hopping between championship-level rosters after winning two NBA championships by riding the Warriors' dynastic run.
After an unsuccessful stint with James Harden and Kyrie Irving in Brooklyn and joining the Phoenix Suns' stacked roster this year, Barkley is holding KD accountable for setting for second fiddle on a team instead of its bonafide captain.
"He’s an all-time great. But when it comes to being mentioned with some of these other guys, he’s going to have to win a championship where he’s the leader of the team, and he’s the best player," Barkley added.
(Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images)
He added, "But if you go back and look at his career, as the best player and being the leader that all goes with that, he’s been an abject failure."
Barkley called Durant "miserable" and a spoiled star athlete.
“He seems like a miserable person, man. I call him Mr. Miserable, he’s never going to be happy. Everybody’s given him everything on a silver platter.
"He was the man in Oklahoma City, they loved him, he owned the entire state. He bolts on them and wins back-to-back championships (with Golden State), and he’s still not happy. Then he goes to Brooklyn, they give him everything he wants and he’s still miserable.”
From calling out ESPN for their race-driven agenda to ripping load management in the NBA, Charles Barkley is a maverick on the mic.
"I think they know that I'm gonna be honest, I'm gonna be fair. I don't have a hidden agenda. There's not many people on TV you can say that about," Barkley said regarding his thriving on-screen appeal.