Kevin Durant lit up the NBA conversation with a blunt take on the Golden State Warriors’ title teams, and former forward Evan Turner wasn’t having the Klay Thompson portion of it.
Durant, now with the Houston Rockets, answered a comparison between the Warriors’ dynasty and the current Philadelphia 76ers by saying the 76ers are “way better.” He pointed to the group of LeBron James, Joel Embiid, Jaylen Brown, and Tyrese Maxey as having more firepower than the Warriors core of Durant, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green during the back-to-back championship runs in 2017 and 2018.
“Klay Thompson, never an MVP candidate in nothing, 22 points per game. Draymond, 14 points per game, seven rebounds, six assists.
Steph an MVP just like Joel was. I don’t get how the Warriors team is better on paper.”
That line about Thompson drew plenty of attention, and Turner responded on X with a sharp but measured reaction.
“‘Was never an MVP in anything' is a tad bit aggressive, LOL,” wrote Turner on X.
Fans piled on after Turner’s comment, with reactions ranging from defense of Thompson to agreement that Durant was making his point in a harsh way.
“He was the MVP of sending KD home in 2016,” said @Match3s_B.
“He minimized Klay to reach for his point. Like people would forget that Warriors team was proven already with 73 wins in a season,” added @swmplanningcpa.
“It definitely is crazy to say it like that, but I can see the other side of the coin where he's talking like that,” wrote @sosanolimitt.
“He does have a point kind of, but yeah, it definitely feels like he's selling prime Klay Thompson a little short, LMAO,” commented @AaronPKP.
“He's trying to make himself feel appreciated. Like a 73-win finals team needed that man,” stated @Datguy2high.
Turner retired in 2020, and he spent plenty of time matched up with Thompson, so his pushback carries a little extra weight. Thompson’s résumé speaks loudly enough on its own: four championships, two All-NBA selections, and five All-Star nods with Golden State.
Green also addressed Durant’s comments on his podcast, saying he disagreed with them and adding that the two-time Finals MVP sees the game differently.
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