Stanley Johnson Says 'No One Is Scared' of Kevin Durant, Thunder
Detroit Pistons rookie forward Stanley Johnson added to the verbal warfare between his team and Kevin Durant on Friday because he felt the Oklahoma City Thunder superstar "disrespected our whole team" with his comments about Detroit.
Rod Beard of the Detroit News passed along the comments from Johnson, who certainly didn't back down despite his lack of experience in the league.
"No one's scared of playing (them) on this side of town," Johnson said.
The remarks come after Durant sounded off about a celebration by Pistons guard Reggie Jackson, a former member of the Thunder, late in Detroit's win over Oklahoma City on Tuesday. Durant, who sat out the contest, wasn't amused and called it "bush league," per Royce Young of ESPN.com.
"I wanted to play against Detroit, for sure, but you know, it's Detroit," Durant said. "Who cares about Detroit?"
That statement clearly struck a chord with Johnson. Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press provided more of the Arizona product's reaction to the situation.
"I don't think we're something to play with," Johnson said. "I think we can be a playoff team and you gotta respect that. I think by saying that, he disrespected our whole team."
He added: "Next year we have two games scheduled, and I know, for me, it's circled on my schedule from now on."
Ultimately, it's somewhat surprising the Thunder would allow themselves to get caught up in such a questionable spat so close to the playoffs. The Western Conference's No. 3 seed should seemingly have more important things to worry about than taking shots at the Pistons for celebrating a win.
It's nice to see a young Detroit squad take a stand, though. Jackson, Johnson and Co. might not be on Oklahoma City's level yet, but they are currently in line to make the playoffs and should continue to grow over the next couple of years.
These types of moments, while mostly meaningless for a title hopeful like Oklahoma City, can become a bonding experience for a team on the rise like Detroit. And when the teams face off next year, it sounds like Johnson will be ready to prove why the Pistons deserve more respect.
