Charles Barkley, a 16-year veteran of the NBA and two-time Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, is no stranger to getting into mischief with his contentious commentary, particularly when it comes to his chronic altercation with Brooklyn Nets veteran forward Kevin Durant.
On Thursday, Barkley gave his most recent uncensored criticism of Durant during a guest appearance on Arizona Sports 97.8 FM, including a new moniker for the two-time NBA champion. “He get mad when we say it, (but) he piggybacked on the (Golden State) Warriors to win his first two championships,” Barkley said.
“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.”
Barkley added: “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, and he’s still not happy. Then he goes to Brooklyn, they give him everything he wants and he’s still miserable.”
Durant, according to Barkley, is the sort of person who is never satisfied. The 33-year-old Durant will once again be teamed with All-Stars Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons, and the Nets will once more be thought of as title contenders. Last season, Durant averaged 29.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, and a career-high 6.4 assists per game.
The Nets, who are still searching for their first NBA championship in team history, anticipate Durant to fulfill the terms of the four-year, $198 million agreement he signed last August and will begin playing under this season. Barkley, though, doesn’t seem convinced that Durant possesses the skills necessary to guide a team to an NBA championship.
The Hall of Famer also stated that Durant “piggybacked” his way to two NBA titles with the Warriors behind Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green after spending his first nine seasons with the Thunder. “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,” he said.
