Stacey King believes truly great players don’t need to announce their greatness. That’s why he called out LeBron James and Kevin Durant for doing exactly that. In King’s view, both superstars have recently undermined legends like Michael Jordan by trying to reshape the narrative in their own favor, something he saw as both disrespectful and unnecessary.
Why Is Stacey King Blasting Kevin Durant and LeBron James?
King, who won three NBA titles alongside Jordan with the Chicago Bulls, made these remarks on his “Gimme the Hot Sauce” podcast. His comments came in response to Durant’s appearance on “Mind the Game,” hosted by LeBron James and JJ Redick.
During the interview, the trio discussed legacy, longevity, and how greatness should be measured. They also seemingly threw subtle jabs at Jordan throughout the conversation.
King took exception to their tone and messaging, framing it as an attempt to tear others down in order to elevate themselves. He then compared their careers and habits with those of Jordan.
“Great players don’t have to tell people they’re great, you let the fans do that, you let talk radio and podcasts debate it,” King said. “Everybody already knows. When you have to go around trumpeting your greatness and trying to separate yourself from others by tearing them down, that’s a problem.”
He then addressed Durant’s argument that longevity matters more than championships, pointing to what he sees as selective storytelling.
“Sure, being in the league 20 plus years takes dedication and hard work,” King said. “But he left out the part about load management. LeBron’s only played a full 82-game season once in his career. Michael Jordan did it nine times, and with playoffs and championships, that’s over 115 games in a year. That’s a different grind.”
What Does King Think About Durant’s Championship Legacy?
King also accused Durant and James of downplaying the achievements of past greats while glossing over their own shortcomings. Instead of comparing eras, he urged them to compare achievements while giving consideration to the technological differences in the game and transportation.
On Durant specifically, King argued that his legacy is tied directly to Curry’s presence in Golden State.
“He don’t win any championships if it wasn’t with Steph Curry,” King said. “Golden State won before he arrived, and they won after he left. Steph even sacrificed his own game to let KD shine, because all he cared about was winning. But KD’s ego couldn’t handle people saying he had to join the Warriors to win.”
King alleged that Durant wanted to be like James, who won the NBA title with the Cleveland Cavaliers on what was basically a one-man team. However, Durant’s ambitions didn’t become fruitful, evidenced by his apparent lack of success during his stint with the Brooklyn Nets and Phoenix Suns.
King also had strong words for James’ statement about “rings don’t matter,” which many attributed to him likely finishing his career with fewer NBA championships than Jordan.
“You can’t discredit Bill Russell or anyone with multiple championships,” King said. “You also can’t twist history about Michael Jordan leaving to play baseball. If you knew your history, you’d know he did it because it was his father’s dream, right after his father’s tragic death.”
King pointed out that Jordan left the NBA to play minor league baseball when he was at his best. Moreover, when Jordan returned, he was still the best. The three-time NBA champion even claimed that Jordan would’ve broken Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s scoring record had he played for the same number of years.
