Stephen A Smith - Kevin Durant favors the Lakers if he leaves OKC

You miss the tank...don't lie!

 

Don't let my sig fool you ..... that was a one off that got us the "best player in the draft". Ask Jerry West. Hell....ask him. :ddime:

 

I mean, what else is KD going to say, right? KD will be refuting rumors all year and into next summer; get used too it.

 

Wow KD flat out called him a liar. But Stephen A is saying he's hearing it from 3rd parties he trusts? I haven't watched the segment.

 

I agree he'd refute it but when you say "he's lying"...there's a lot of other ways to say that. Most guys who are actually giving it some thought wouldn't say it like that. They might just say "I've haven't discussed going anywhere with anyone at this point". He's calling out Stephen A on his facts there and Stephen probably deserves it.

 

"Grateful for this opportunity with Roc Nation Sports," Durant said, in the text above the tweeted picture. "It's go time."

"He has a 90.5 free throw shooting rate, the youngest player in NBA history to join the 50-40-90 club," Jay-Z was quoted as saying, above the picture. "A giving individual and a legend in the making. What more can I say?"

The move was expected for two weeks, since Durant told his former agent Rob Pelinka that he was jumping ship and wanted to try partnering with the power of Jay-Z.

The partnership will immediately test Jay-Z's ability to score out-of-the-box marketing deals.

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/9418498/kevin-durant-partnering-jay-z-go

This article was 2 years ago; since then, Roc Nation represented Durant in the Nike negotiations and negotiated a 300 million dollar deal for Durant. I've studied Jay's businesses; I know how he thinks through his business ventures. I can totally see why Durant's 'marketing' department wants him in Los Angeles. If Kobe retires, there's a void on one of the most recognizable brands in the world. @therealdeal pointed out what Ireland said the other day; we've seen what the L.A. market has done for Griffin and Paul on the Clippers of all teams; imagine the possibilities of what the Lakers brand can do for Durant. I'd argue and say it make him bigger on a global scale and international circuit than he already is right now.

Jay and his people are thinking big picture. They're thinking long-term. They're thinking of all the marketing, business ventures, and the opportunity that comes in living in a metropolis like Los Angeles. He'd also be the king of Los Angeles. There is nothing like winning in Los Angeles. There is nothing like being a Laker...the reason why we have and failed to attract FA's is because we aren't competitive. Tell me this; if we're a .500 ball club with pieces improving on a team, do you think Aldrige says 'no,' to us? I think he thinks if he takes his talent to an up and coming team, we'll be a 50-win team, with the cap space to add another star the following year. As it stands it didn't happen that way. You tank during the season you suffer the consequences.

Anyway, I'm starting to believe the hype. As I study this more, it makes total sense. They key is winning basketball games this year and looking like we are in an upward trending arc; now Los Angeles we have a year to prepare for this presentation; don't SCREW IT UP! Let's win some damn games this year...

 

http://www.twitlonger.com/show/n_1snj0m2



Stephen A Smith · @stephenasmith
2nd Oct 2015 from TwitLonger

Regarding @KDTrey5 and his negative comments about me, let me say this: At NO time did I ever say I SPOKE to K.D. Or his family. Or his brother, friends, teammates, etc. (although I can assure you all I have on several occasions in the past). I said I HEARD from folks I know -- in a league I've been covering for 19 years -- that if he were to leave OKC as a free agent, these are the cities I was told he was considering. OKC. LA. Miami. DC. NY. I stand by it all. And that is that.
His assertion that I was lying is not only FALSE, but totally uncalled for. Especially from a player who receives nothing but praise not only from me, but from practically every media member you can find. Yet, for some reason, we're all the same folks who don't know *&%$ about the game of basketball. Whose thoughts he could give a &^%$ about. Essentially, individuals he wishes he'd never have to talk to.....that he's being forced to tolerate.....as if someone has done something to him.....OF ALL PEOPLE!
Don't know what has happened to Mr. Durant over the years. But I know this much: We all win with his return, because he is an absolute superstar. The NBA is better with him. We're all at a loss without him.
It just appears that @KDTrey5 needs to learn something about today's world in professional sports:
We don't have to talk TO HIM to talk ABOUT HIM!
Folks like ME will still be here. Watching! Listening! Waiting! Reporting!
Whether he likes it or not. While he's here and long after he's gone.
Time to get use to it.

 

KD has become a lot more vocal over the years....but SAS needs to STFU sometimes. He's going to mess it up for us like all these other media idiots who keep using us as leverage to pump up the value of their clients (not that KD needs that, but they've certainly done that with other players).

The more ppl say "XYZ player to Lakers", the more that player is NOT going to want to play for us. It's become "cool" to diss the Lakers and go play for a small market team. We need to squash that crap once and for all this coming summer...which means we need to WIN this year.

 

Watch Jay-Z take Durant to the Knicks.

 

Testosterone is a hulluva drug

 

Kind of what I gathered, he's saying he got it 3rd party from multiple reputable (to him) sources. And "lying or liar" directed at him from KD was pretty strong words that he doesn't appreciate. I approve of Screamin' A's response.

Let's do this.

:twothumbs:

 

Same s**t, different year. Can't wait to hear about Durant to the Lakers all season long, just so I can finally give-in and get my hopes up for a week or two in June before he inevitably signs elsewhere and I can read another stack of articles on the Lakers' demise and what went wrong. Sheesh.

 

What if this dude did a sign and trade for him? Their shooting would be out of control.

Curry, Thompson, Durant? Yikes!