Houston Rockets star Kevin Durant and Iman Shumpert have been going back and forth over the past week or so, but things took an ugly turn on Wednesday night.
Shumpert doubled down on his claim that Durant's move to the Golden State Warriors in 2016 cost him and the Cleveland Cavaliers two more NBA titles — this time backing up his hot take with an unconventional analogy.
"KD got older a year after going home, and [Michael] Jordan didn't. He joined the ni—s that sent him home," Shumpert told "Gil's Arena," via BasketballNetwork.com.
"That's like, me and Evan [Turner] come in there, and we rob your house. You don't smoke us; next year you come hang with us while we go rob Brendan [Jennings].
"Like what? That's what we're talking about here," Shumpert added.
Durant did not appreciate Shumpert's analogy.
"This ain't the streets," Durant wrote on social media on Wednesday night.
"Plus, it ain't no rules in the streets. It's cutthroat li'l ni—a.
"Pull ya panties up, you lucky you got one."
Durant also went scorched earth on a fan who urged him to "have some heart."
"@papa_phew you fake tough guys are mad that I won championships but call me tender haha it's ironic, brother, you've been in your feelings for over a decade about this, u aren't tough, your street analogies mean nothing to me..none of yall clowns who been crying would never try me in any type of way.
"Just sit back and accept it…tough guy lol"
Durant and the Rockets are motivated to make a big statement this year after a disappointing first-round series loss to then Los Angeles Lakers last season. The return of injured guard Fred VanVleet and the addition of Marcus Smart should definitely help, and so should the addition of Bogdan Bogdanovic .
The Rockets will also hope to have Durant healthy for the playoffs after the two-time Finals MVP missed most the series vs. the Lakers with an injury.
"We're not here to just make the first round," Rockets head coach Ime Udoka said on Tuesday, via The Athletic. "We want to make some real noise."
Jabari Smith Jr . echoed his coach's sentiments, issuing a warning to the league.
"Everybody around the organization knows we're better than what we put out during the playoffs last year," he said.
"We're better than what everybody thinks. Our expectation is always to win it all. That's what we're trying to do. We're trying to just keep improving every year. … We definitely should be a better team. It's just on us to put it together."
Durant, who turns 38 next week, has no plans to retire anytime soon.
"I'm not thinking about anything like that. I enjoy coming into work every day. It's been fun going through the process with everybody. I'm taking it a day at a time.
"That's the most I can do. Who knows what will happen down the line or in the future? Right now, I enjoy showing up for work."
This article was originally published on HEAVY
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