Shaq sounds off on Kevin Durant’s leadership: ‘You don’t want to make it work’

Kevin Durant has been criticized for how he’s handled his business ever since he left the Oklahoma City Thunder for the 73-9 Golden State Warriors.

Now that he has requested a trade from the Brooklyn Nets, the criticism is similar to what it was six years ago.

The latest backlash comes from Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal, who did not hold back when asked about Durant’s leadership qualities, or lack thereof. 

On the “Rich Eisen Show”, the four-time NBA champion said Durant is “probably trying to get to [another] contender.”

“When you put a house together, you should live in it,” O’Neal said. “You was the one who hired the architect. You was the one who got the other architect (James Harden) from Philadelphia. You, as a leader, should make it work, but [if] you don’t want to make it work, you should go buy another house. You know he’s probably trying to get to a contender. It’s easier that way.”

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The Boston Celtics were rumored to be engaged heavily in Durant trade talks, which would have likely included Jaylen Brown.

Shaq thinks that would be a big mistake.

“You have a young nucleus that we can build and we can trust, I’d keep them,” Shaq said. “I don’t know what everybody else was watching, but Jaylen was hanging pretty tough with Durant.”

O’Neal seemed to be reiterating Jayson Tatum’s sentiments from last week.

“I played with [Durant] during the Olympics,” Tatum said. “Obviously, he’s a great player, but that’s not my decision. I love our team. I love the guys that we got.”

The Miami Heat and Phoenix Suns have also been linked to Durant, and both are on Durant’s wish list of teams he’d like to go to. The Toronto Raptors, O’Neal’s Los Angeles Lakers and the Warriors have also kept tabs.

Durant will be entering the first year of a four-year contract extension he signed with Brooklyn last year that’s worth $198 million.