Why Did Kevin Durant Randomly Attack An 8th Grader On Twitter?
Kevin Durant is an NBA superstar who has played in the league since he was drafted by the Seattle SuperSonics in 2007, who became the Oklahoma City Thunder the following year. He played for the Thunder for nine years before heading to the Golden State Warriors and winning two back-to-back championships with the team in 2017 and 2018, where he was also named the finals' MVP both years, per ESPN.
Durant, widely known as KD, became a free agent in 2019 and signed with the Brooklyn Nets. He just recently signed a four-year extension with the team for a reported $198 million, per CBS. The power forward also has an endorsement deal with Nike, Beats by Dre, Alaska Airlines, and Gatorade to name a few, according to Sports Khabri.
The two-time NBA champion also has a charity, Kevin Durant Charity Foundation, which serves to "enrich the lives of at-risk youth from low-income backgrounds through educational, athletic and social programs," per the charity's website. Through his charity, he runs a youth basketball program, which has provided nearly $17 million in athletic scholarships to Team Durant players. However, KD is now making headlines for another reason than his playing career and charitable contributions.
Kevin Durant trolls 13-year-old boy for a missed jump shot
Kevin Durant's NBA career isn't the only thing that gets people talking, his social media behavior has also caused controversy. He was fined $50,000 in April for using "offensive and derogatory" language during a heated exchange with actor Michael Rapaport, per The New York Times. Durant's latest target? An 8th grade boy. The Twitter account @Overtime posted a video of 13-year-old Jayden Moore attempting a turnaround jumper, and ultimately missing the shot. The Washington, D.C. native shared the video on his Twitter account with the caption, "This s**t stinks." When a Twitter user replied saying he was "just a kid," Durant appeared to double down on his post, tweeting, "It's about habits man."
Moore's family and coach rushed to his defense. "There's almost an immaturity with them to take the time to even go on Twitter and look at that and comment," Moore's coach, Ken Novak told USA Today. "In fairness to them, I'm sure they're trying to create what they see as better basketball, people sharing. And maybe they're making a comment trying to say that. But they just got to realize who they're saying it to." Moore decided to take the high road and tweeted at Durant, thanking him. "Thanks for the constructive criticism.. I've grown from my 6th grade year! Maybe we can work on some stuff together!! All love [heart emoji] Hopefully I can get to where you at one day! #keepgrinding"
Talk about a mature teenager!