Monday marked the premiere of a new morning show on ESPN called Get Up. Charles Barkley, who made an appearance on the new show, offered his two cents about the supposed heel turn that Kevin Durant has undergone since signing with Golden State in 2016.
In response to a question from host Michelle Beadle, Barkley gave his trademark honesty that makes him endearing and also (occasionally) gets him into trouble.
"Well you know Kevin is interesting because he used to be one of the nicest nicest guys in the world," Barkley said. "And when he went to Golden State, he’s trying to prove something to people I think … it seems like when people turned against him, he let it really affect him and he’s turned into a totally different person."
As for Durant, shortly after his March 29 ejection (which put him two technicals away from an automatic one-game suspension) he dismissed any concern over his heated play.
"It was a tech," he said. "I got thrown out of the basketball game. I wish I didn't. I wanted to play. I'm sorry. Well, I'm not sorry, but I wish I could finish the game...Definitely wanted to finish the game. That's why I'm more so upset about—that I didn't finish the game I wanted to play after being out a couple of weeks. Like I said, I'll be there tomorrow at practice and be ready to do my job, which is to work hard and get better. That's the good thing about it, I can move past it when I wake up."
He also laughed off concern that his temper could cost him or his team in the postseason:
