Suns' Kevin Durant Rips ESPN's Stephen A. Smith as a 'Clown' for Leadership Criticism

It's safe to say Kevin Durant is not a fan of ESPN's Stephen A. Smith.

"Yeah, Stephen A., I don't understand how people even listen to Stephen A.," the Phoenix Suns star told Doug Haller of The Athletic for a Sunday piece. "I've been in the league for 18 years. I've never seen Stephen A. at a practice, or a film session, or a shoot-around. I've never seen him anywhere but on TV talking s--t about players. … He's a clown to me. He's always been a clown. You can write that, too."

The quotes come after Durant responded to Smith's comments from an Oct. 24 episode of First Take in which the ESPN host called out his leadership:

Durant is one of the most scrutinized all-time greats in NBA history, and this is just the latest example.

While his move to the Golden State Warriors following the 2015-16 season generated plenty of discussion, it's impossible to argue with his list of accomplishments that includes two championships, two NBA Finals MVP, a league MVP, four scoring titles, 11 All-NBA selections and 14 All-Star Game nods.

He also has four Olympic gold medals, which is more than any other men's basketball player. That is a fitting accomplishment for someone who is the all-time leading scorer in U.S Basketball history.

From the outside looking in, the future Hall of Famer looked like a veteran leader alongside LeBron James and Stephen Curry on the 2024 Paris Olympics team that captured gold.

His Suns teammates and coaches also don't hesitate to praise his leadership skills.

"It's contagious," point guard Tyus Jones said. "He's an all-time great. You see him showing up, going 110 percent each and every day, working on his craft. Even in Year 18, he's still looking for ways to get better. He's still pushing himself to get better. How do you not do the same?"

Head coach Mike Budenholzer said Durant's leadership and voice in the locker room has been "off the charts" this season.

"I'm glad my coaches and teammates got my back," Durant said.

Ultimately, the support of his teammates and coaches is surely more important than the opinions of those on television. But Durant still stood up for himself and wasn't pleased with the criticism when it came to the topic of leadership.