Smith said Durant has been “leaderless” when addressing the question of whether the two-time finals MVP can lead Phoenix to a championship. Suns teammates came to Durant’s defense, saying he’s an easy target, and defended his leadership style. They said he’s not a “rah, rah" type, but he will call out teammates.

Suns superstar Kevin Durant did not hold back when criticizing ESPN's Stephen A. Smith, who recently questioned KD's leadership ability.