Stephen A. Smith Responds to Kevin Durant's 'Clown' Remark, Asks Star to Stop 'Lying'

The war of words between Phoenix Suns superstar Kevin Durant and ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith continued on Monday.

This time, it was Smith responding to Durant's comments that the media personality was a "clown" after Smith had initially questioned Durant's leadership.

Here was his reaction on Monday's First Take:

"If you're expecting me to reciprocate with that kind of pettiness and childishness, it's not going to happen. Kevin Durant is one of the greatest players to have ever played this game. He's a future Hall of Famer, he's a two-time champion, two-time Finals MVP. And I've been on the record saying, he's also a good dude. So if he wants to resort to that level—even though we're both grown men, if he has something to say he knows my number, and he refrains from doing so—that's what he has to live with. But having said all of that, respectfully, Kevin Durant, can you stop lying, please? I've been an NBA reporter, and I was a columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer as well. Kevin Durant has seen me in the locker room when he was at Oklahoma City [and Golden State]. He has certainly seen me at games throughout his career."

Smith, in particular, seemed to latch onto comments from Durant that he hasn't seen the media personality "at a practice, or a film session, or a shoot-around" during his 18 years in the league.

So, how did we get here?

It started on Oct. 24, when Smith questioned Durant's leadership and ability to motivate his teammates, comments the Suns' superstar immediately pushed back against:

That led to reporters asking Phoenix head coach Mike Budenholzer about Durant's leadership, with Budenholzer praising his star player. But Durant was curious why the question was being asked in the first place, turning his ire toward Smith.

"Yeah, Stephen A., I don't understand how people even listen to Stephen A.," he told The Athletic's Doug Haller. "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."

As for what Durant's coaches and teammates think about the leadership conversation, they quickly came to his defense.

"I've been blown away with Kevin as a practice player," Budenholzer told reporters last week. "He goes hard, he goes hard in everything he does. I think that's probably the most important thing to leadership, leading by example."

"He's one of the greatest to ever do it," Devin Booker added. "He's more vocal than what people say he is, but he also leads by example every day. He's the loudest one in practice and first in every drill. The pace of his individual workouts is second to none."