Kevin Durant shoots down 'toxic' label attached to Suns locker room

Yesterday at 05:27 PM

As numerous Phoenix Suns players have refuted a toxic locker room, Kevin Durant is the newest player to be added to that list. Most of the rumors have surrounded him, as the team nearly sent him to another team at the trade deadline. The initial claim came from ESPN and senior writer Ramona Shelburne. Regardless, he’s remained committed to the Suns.

After Tuesday’s practice, Durant took a long time to clarify the situation with reporters. He explained more about what truly goes on in the locker room.

“Yeah, I heard Ramona Shelburne come out and say our locker room is toxic,” Durant said via AZCentral’s Duane Rankin. “I try to tell people who aren’t around this game much that it’s easy to say our locker room is not connected when you come in there 45 minutes before, and guys are in their game mode and not talking to each other.

“Four or five guys might be in the training room. A few guys might be in the weight room. It’s not a welcoming environment right before the game. That’s part of getting ready to play.”

Kevin Durant details the Suns’ locker room

As Durant mentioned, players have a barrage of routines before the game. Some guys stay in the locker room, and some are doing conditioning, among other things. The pregame process is extremely different than the postgame process. Postgame, players are sharing the locker room, usually telling jokes and talking about either the game or other instances.

After Durant’s future was in question following the trade deadline, he has remained committed to this season and possibly beyond. Although his contract has been a big talking point, so have the ‘toxic’ locker room rumors. He elaborated more about how disingenuous that ESPN report was.

“I think it’s unfair and lazy to categorize our team as toxic when you come in there for five minutes throughout four months. That’s the only time you’ve been in our locker room, and then you can make a narrative? I don’t think that’s fair to us, but like I said, that’s a part of the game.

“Part of the business we signed up for. Shit is not fair in this game, but we got to deal with it and accept it.”

At the end of the day, as Durant said, it’s part of the business. Criticism will fly in from every angle. Still, no one can truly know what goes on in the locker room besides the player and the organization. Baseless claims fly in from everywhere, and Durant is no stranger to it.

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