Famous reporters blasted Durant: It s really pretentious to apply for a deal again. When the team encounters problems, he will only run away.

The news that Durant applied for a deal again ignited the NBA.

Senior journalist Mike Smith was fully fired in the column: "Look at the road he has walked - the Thunder, the Warriors, the Nets, and the Suns. Every time the team encounters a bottleneck, what he chooses is not to shoulder the responsibility, but to pack his luggage."

"When the definition of a superstar is reflected in LeBron and Curry as overcoming difficulties, Durant turned 'apply for a deal' into a routine operation. This is not the pursuit of the championship, it is exquisite escapism."

---

Durant's name is once again closely linked to "apply for a deal", impacting the nerves of NBA fans. When the Suns' new season ended shortly after the end of their new season, the league's top scorer seemed to have expressed dissatisfaction with the status quo again.

This is not the first time - from the Thunder to the Warriors, from the Nets to the Suns, every time the team fails to reach the expected height or gets stuck, Durant's choice always seems surprisingly consistent: leave.

Senior basketball reporter Mike Smith couldn't bear it anymore and asked a sharp question in his latest column: "Kevin Durant, is your luggage packed too fast?"

1. Champion Heart? Or escape inertia? Durant's "run away" trajectory has caused doubts

Durant's footprint connects the most eye-catching "superstar transfer" roadmap in the NBA in the past decade:

Oklahoma City Thunder (2007-2016): After experiencing the baptism of the finals, he chose to join the Golden State Warriors who had just defeated his opponent, Golden State Warriors after being reversed in the 2016 Western Conference Finals. The famous "My Next Chapter" announced the decision, leaving behind a controversial footnote to the "hardest road".

Golden State Warriors (2016-2019): Two FMVP wins, outstanding achievements. However, with the openness of conflict with Green and the subtle changes in the team's atmosphere, he chose to leave and join the Brooklyn Nets after being seriously injured in the 2019 Finals.

Brooklyn Nets (2019-2023): Ambitiously formed the "Big Three" (Durant, Irving, Harden), but the injury, Irving's off-court turmoil, and Harden's early departure made the plan broken. When the team struggled on the edge of the play-offs, Durant suddenly filed a deal before the start of the 2023 season. Although it was finally withdrawn, the crack was born; he applied for a deal again in the middle of the season and was eventually sent to the Suns.

Phoenix Suns (2023 to present): Form the new "three giants" with Booker and Bill, aiming to win the championship. However, the season results were much lower than expected (swept by the Timberwolves in the first round of the playoffs), and the team faced pressure to reorganize the lineup and explode their salary. As the season ended, rumors about Durant being dissatisfied with the team's direction and may seek change again have become rampant.

Mike Smith pointed out without hesitation in the column: "Look at the path he has walked, a clear pattern has been solidified: whenever the team encounters a real bottleneck period that requires core leaders to grit their teeth and persevere and gather the team to overcome difficulties together, Durant's choice is not to face the difficulties, but to press the familiar 'exit key'."

## 2. Where is the responsibility of the "superstar"? In contrast, Durant's choice is pale

Mike Smith's criticism directly points to the core - the definition of a superstar. It should not only be based on unsolvable scoring ability, but also on the responsibility and leadership temperament in the face of adversity. **

LeBron James: After struggling during the Cavaliers 1.0 period, he turned to the Heat to win the championship, and chose to return to the Cavaliers, leading the team to reverse the Warriors in a desperate situation of 1-3 behind, bringing his first championship in history to his hometown. The Lakers also encountered troughs and injuries in the early stages. ** did not choose to leave and eventually led the team to the top in 2020.

Stephen Curry: The Warriors Dynasty experienced the darkest moments of 73 wins and second overall runner-up, Durant left, Thompson was reimbursed for consecutive serious injuries, and missed the playoffs in a row. Curry never wavered, always sticks to Golden State, leading the team to re-exercise, and finally won the championship again as an absolute core in 2022, which explains what loyalty and tenacity are for one person and one city.

Nicolas Jokic: After the Nuggets became an MVP player, the team also suffered repeated setbacks in the playoffs. Jokic never complained or sought shortcuts, but continued to evolve and grow with the team, and eventually led the team to the top in 2023, winning the first championship in team history and FMVP.

"When the word 'superstar' shines with the light of overcoming difficulties and leading the team to the top in LeBron, Curry, and Jokic, Durant seems to have turned 'applying for a deal' into a routine operation for him to solve problems." Smith wrote, "This is not running on the pure road to pursuing the championship, it is more like a refined escapism. He pursues the 'already' championship express train, rather than participating in or even leading the difficult and great construction process."

## 3. The Sun's dilemma is not a day's cold, but "escape" is the only answer? The Suns are indeed facing severe challenges at present: the lineup structure is imbalanced: the Big Three (Durant, Booker, Bill) occupy most of the salary space, and the depth and functionality of the role players are seriously insufficient.

Tactical running-in is not smooth: the three giants all need a lot of ball rights, and the shortcomings of the lack of ball ability and defensive end are infinitely magnified in the playoffs.

Future assets are scarce: In order to obtain Durant and Bill, the Suns overdraw almost all future picks and have extremely low operational flexibility.

The new boss's sense of urgency: Ishbiya's investment after taking over is huge, his goal is directed at the championship, and his patience may be limited.

These problems are real and difficult. However, this is exactly the moment to test the quality of superstars.

Real leaders should think: How to better integrate? How to tap potential under the existing framework? How to lead role players by example? How to communicate effectively with management during the offseason and find solutions together?

Mike Smith's ultimate question was deafening: "Durant has a historically-level scoring talent, but does he have the heart of a leader who matches it and leads the team through the storm? When the team needs him the most to stabilize the morale of the army, set an example, and overcome difficulties together, he chooses to 'pack'. Isn't this a huge escape from the responsibility of 'superstars'?"

>LeBron was shattering steel teeth when he was behind 1-3 in Kerry, Curry silently held on the ruins of the dynasty, and Jokic carved the cornerstone of victory year after year in the Denver Plateau.

>

>Durant always leaves at the trough of the team, turning "loyalty" into a luxury. When basketball history writes legends, those backs that carry the city's hope alone are far more worth remembering than the jersey numbers that are constantly changing.

>

>The reason why superstars are great is not only because they can score key goals, but also because they dare to shoulder a huge burden - even if they stagger, they will never turn their backs to the storm.