Charles Barkley on Kevin Durant: He's been an abject failure

Charles Barkley has not pulled punches in describing Kevin Durant’s career arc. There is nothing new about him being critical of the Nets’ star and Durant going back at him. “All the old guys, he get mad we say it, (but) he piggybacked on the Warriors to win his first two championships,” Barkley said Thursday. “But if you go back and look at his career, as the best player and being the leader that all goes with that, he’s been an abject failure. Every time he’s had to be the leader and best player, he has not had success. That’s what us old guys think about him.”
Source: Arizona’s Sports Page

What’s the buzz on Twitter?

A. Sherrod Blakely @ASherrodblakely
How Does KD’s Return to Nets Impact the Celtics? | A List Podcast w/ @A. Sherrod Blakely, @Gary Washburn & @KwaniALunis | Powered by @betonline_ag & @indeed twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1… – 5:30 PM Jake Fischer @JakeLFischer
We’re back in the States, and back on @getcallin tomorrow at 4ET with New York’s own @Michael Scotto.
Breaking down Kevin Durant rescinding his trade request, the ongoing Donovan Mitchell trade sweepstakes, Lakers moves, and taking your questions: callin.com/link/LmVYUTnUXI – 4:10 PM Dalton Johnson @DaltonJ_Johnson
My summer league interview with Patrick Baldwin Jr., @Monte Poole and myself breaking down KD staying put in Brooklyn and @tomdierberger joining us to talk Warriors title threats: Watch the latest Dubs Talk on YouTube youtube.com/watch?v=73TjOe… – 1:15 PM Kerry Eggers @kerryeggers
Headline: Kevin Durant Asked For Sean Marks, Steve Nash Firings To Increase His Trade Chances
Comment: Should make for a great working relationship for next season now that Nets plan to keep him. – 1:12 PM James Ham @James_HamNBA
Ep. 87 of The Kings Beat Podcast: Kevin Durant situation comes to conclusion, what does it mean for Kings, rest of NBA? With @BrendenNunesNBA, @Sean Cunningham and @James Ham kings-beat.beehiiv.com/p/kevin-durant… – 12:56 PM The Ringer @ringernba
🏀 How good the Nets can be with KD staying in Brooklyn
🏀 Things they know heading into the 2022-23 season
#RingerNBA with @Justin Verrier and @J. Kyle Mann: open.spotify.com/episode/57qdoP… – 11:36 AM Brandon Rahbar @BrandonRahbar
OKC has had some bad injury luck.
2013: Russ got PatBevved when OKC was the #1 seed
2014: Serge injury in the WCF
2015: KD out for the season
2018: Roberson lost just as OK3 looked like a contender
2019: PG lost his shoulders
2021: SGA plantar
2023: Chet misses rookie year – 11:26 AM Tony East @TEastNBA
New Locked On Pacers looking at how the Pacers are impacted by Kevin Durant and the Nets sticking together:
-Nets still dangerous, Lakers focus change
-Cavaliers and Celtics picks impacted
-East standings projections
And more. Tune in:https://t.co/zmFKjBReXt pic.twitter.com/zHtk5wo9OQ – 9:47 AM Wes Goldberg @wcgoldberg
New column: Failure to land Kevin Durant leaves the Heat in rare, unknown territory. wesgoldberg.substack.com/p/kevin-durant… – 8:18 AM Chris Forsberg @ChrisForsberg_
🎙 NEW CELTICS TALK POD 🎙
@EddieHouse_50 reacts to the end of the Kevin Durant drama and details how Jaylen Brown should feel after being in rumors.
📺 https://t.co/Ims37Uaoba
pic.twitter.com/PHITIjufvp – 7:48 AM A. Sherrod Blakely @ASherrodblakely
How Does KD’s Return to Nets Impact the Celtics? a-list.libsyn.com/how-does-kds-r… – 7:07 AM Austin Krell @NBAKrell
Wait so THT and a 2nd isn’t enough for KD?! – 11:30 PM Kurt Helin @basketballtalk
PBT Podcast: Durant returns to Nets, but is this really over? nba.nbcsports.com/2022/08/24/pbt… – 10:31 PM Sam Quinn @SamQuinnCBS
Let’s say Kevin Durant stays with the Nets for a few years.
What team will regret missing the chance to trade for him most? – 6:42 PM Ira Winderman @IraHeatBeat
From earlier — ASK IRA: Does Kevin Durant door closing open one for Heat with Donovan Mitchell? sun-sentinel.com/sports/miami-h… – 5:45 PM Danny Leroux @DannyLeroux
Dunc’d On Prime: KD Recommits w/ @Nate Duncan
Subscribe to Total Access for ad-free episodes of Dunc’d On, and much more: https://t.co/n4QLDCqWYd pic.twitter.com/FeHArx3vNH – 5:00 PM Nate Duncan @NateDuncanNBA
Dunc’d On Prime: KD Recommits w/ @Danny Leroux
Subscribe to Total Access for ad-free episodes of Dunc’d On, and much more: https://t.co/XSgwN6kjka pic.twitter.com/WZSkw2IwtI – 4:30 PM Steve Bulpett @SteveBHoop
ICYMI:
As Durant stays in Brooklyn (no shock), league reacts to Joe Tsai/Nets taking a stand w/KD & Kyrie:
“He gave them the keys to the Ferrari and they took it out and they wrecked it – and he decided he wasn’t going to give them another set of keys.”
bit.ly/3Khp4OX – 4:18 PM Kamenetzky Brothers @KamBrothers
For the sickos who like to watch, Wednesday’s @LockedOnLakers pod, YouTube version. We talk Plan B’s for the Lakers with KD/Kyrie staying put. Hield? Turner? Utah Jazz supporting players? Standing pat? Schröder??? @LockedOnNBAPods @LockedOnNetwork
youtube.com/watch?v=BwQ2I-… – 4:03 PM Brian Robb @BrianTRobb
What Kevin Durant staying with Nets means for Celtics future w/ @Tom Westerholm | @WinningPlaysPod powered by @betonline_ag twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1… – 4:00 PM Duane Rankin @DuaneRankin
Smile.
Deandre Ayton has you on the disposable camera.
#Suns going old school with jerseys they wore when reaching the 1993 #NBA finals with Charles Barkley leading the way. pic.twitter.com/ItrxdZQfGD – 1:17 PM

More on this storyline

Charles Barkley: “He seems like a miserable person, man. I call him Mr. Miserable, he’s never going to be happy. Everybody’s given him everything on a silver platter. He was the man in Oklahoma City, they loved him, he owned the entire state. He bolts on them and wins back-to-back championships (with Golden State), and he’s still not happy. Then he goes to Brooklyn, they give him everything he wants and he’s still miserable.” -via Arizona’s Sports Page / August 25, 2022 Donovan Mitchell hasn’t asked for a trade from the Jazz, according to sources. But, if he were to be traded, sources say, his preferred destination would be one of three places: the Knicks, the Brooklyn Nets, or the Miami Heat. Mitchell can’t be traded to the Nets as long as Ben Simmons is on the roster, which makes that destination unlikely, and now even more unlikely with Kevin Durant staying put. The Heat simply don’t have the assets that the Jazz are looking for, which makes that destination unlikely. The Knicks have the assets that the Jazz seek, which has made them a natural potential trade partner. -via The Athletic / August 25, 2022 This isn’t necessarily over, of course; we’ve seen too many Dwightmares rekindle from embers to declare this fire extinguished. But for the purposes of the 2022 offseason, the biggest domino just fell. There will be no Durant trade, at least until Deandre Ayton is trade-eligible in January (ducks). -via The Athletic / August 25, 2022 The field of sports marketing is not without its challenges, so when folks in that business are presented with a layup, they better take it. That’s what the Phoenix Suns are doing by bringing back the sunburst uniforms first worn by the 1992-93 team, which lost to the Chicago Bulls in the NBA Finals. It’s the 30-year anniversary of that season, and one way the Suns are celebrating is by going retro in a fashion sense. Wearing your clothes from the ’90s isn’t a good look for most of us, but Suns jerseys from that era are different. Over the years, market research has indicated the jerseys worn in the Charles Barkley era are the most popular among fans, especially the purple one. “The easiest thing in sports is to give the fans what they want,” said Graham Wincott, the Suns’ senior director of marketing. -via USA Today Sports / August 24, 2022 The uniform, Barkley and America West Arena made their basketball debut in Phoenix on Nov. 7, 1992. The Suns beat the Clippers by six points, with Barkley finishing with 37 points and 21 rebounds. His teammates didn’t do much to help him. “Our best play was to keep throwing up bricks and let Charles go get them,” Dan Majerle said. “He really did a great job.” -via USA Today Sports / August 24, 2022