WATCH: Charles Barkley delivers harsh criticism of Kevin Durant in playoffs
NBA legend Charles Barkley delivered a harsh criticism of Kevin Durant’s playoff stats this year, even questioning his previous championship rings. Durant has struggled against the Boston Celtics’ defense in their first-round playoff matchup — something that prompted Barkley to speak about his championships with the Golden State Warriors being less impressive because he wasn’t the leader of the team.
Charles Barkley on Kevin Durant
“Don’t tell me you’re a great player — I mean, all these guys can play — but please don’t tell me you’re a great, great player and you’re averaging 20 [points per game]. Come on now. I don’t think I ever played in the playoffs and had 20,” said Barkley during a segment on Inside the NBA.
Host Ernie Johnson attempted to give Barkley a chance to clarify his stance on saying Durant wasn’t a great player, as Barkley and the others believe Durant is a great player. Barkley used the chance to double down on his comments and criticize the idea that Durant isn’t a “champion” like others were.
“I don’t want to bad-mouth the dude, but you guys talk about all this championship stuff,” said Barkley. “I try to tell y’all, all these ‘bus riders’ they don’t mean nothing to me. If you ain’t driving the bus, don’t walk around talking about you a champion. If you ride the bus, I don’t want to hear it. C’mon Shaq, tell them. All these guys walking around with these championship rings, man y’all [are] bus riders. When you the bus driver and you got all that pressure when you have to play well or you’re gonna get the blame — that’s a different animal.”
Barkley famously had never won an NBA championship despite his incredible career, something that is frequently joked about by co-host Shaquille O’Neal. While he didn’t directly compare himself to Durant, it was clear by his comments that he believes that it takes more than just an NBA championship ring to separate yourself as a legendary player. Durant’s path through the NBA has been the subject of great criticism since his decision to join the Warriors after losing to them in the playoffs the prior year — creating what many referred to as a “super team” like the Miami Heat were with LeBron James.
Durant and the Warriors won two championships together in 2017 and 2018, the first two of Durant’s career. The Brooklyn Nets and Kevin Durant are facing a sweep by the Celtics in their home gym of Barclays Center on Monday, falling down 3-0 in the series. While the team has been plagued with off-court drama involving Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons, the season was still believed to be a chance for Durant to win a third championship on roster talent alone.