USA basketball star and Phoenix Suns player Kevin Durant pushed back against basketball fans on social media early Friday who were criticizing the U.S. men's team for celebrating an Olympics semifinal win against Serbia.
Steph Curry led the team with 36 points off nine three-pointers, as the U.S. mounted a huge fourth-quarter comeback against Serbia in the semifinals of the Paris Olympics, winning 95-91.
The United States was down by as much as 15 points in the third quarter, but was able to come away with the win and a chance to play France in the gold medal match this weekend.
The first reply from Durant, appeared to be around 5 a.m. Paris time, according to the timestamp on X, formerly Twitter.
One poster wrote, "Serbia just took the most talented team in the history of the planet to the wire with a medal on the line. Team USA was a 16 point favorite. The whole country should be proud."
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Durant replied, "Where u from??"
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After another poster said, "Just admit you hate the fact that Jokic is clearly the best player in the world," Durant responded with the following:
"To all you nuggets fans, nobody gives a [expletive] who yall lames believe is the best player in the league, players got major respect for Jok, we don’t worship him like yall do but most are in awe of his brilliance. Trolling you cornballs for rooting against us is apart of the game. Deal wit it".
Durant criticized the "fan culture" and "idol worship, "which he said has caused hate and division.
To a fan who said in part, "Fans do make the league how big it is.. if no one was watching no one would know who any players are and y’all wouldn’t be paid [expletive]. Don’t act like this now, talking big cause u beat Serbia," Durant asked why they watch.
Durant later calling some of the people commenting on X "clowns."
"That’s what yall do, yall clowns. Use players to push these corny agendas yall got. This a brotherhood fam, u not apart of. It’s a problem now cuz social media got u clowns walkin around wit your chest out like u mean something. YOU DONT!!! YOUR TAKES DONT MATTER," Durant posted.
Durant and Team USA are set to take on France on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET in the gold medal match.
