Kevin Durant responds to false statements: Do you really believe I said this, or have you simply fallen into someone else’s trap?

On January 24th Beijing time, social media is overwhelmed with fabricated claims, and Rockets star Kevin Durant is striving to guide people to discern fact from fiction and prevent being deceived by false information.

Following the Houston Rockets’ 122-128 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, a fraudulent statement falsely claiming to be from Durant started spreading. The false quote read: “I just don’t get it. I have to give my all to score 35 points just to barely keep the team in the game and maintain hope for a win, yet we still lost. We shouldn’t be this mediocre. The team needs to change, and it must happen now.”

In response, Durant himself replied to fans on social media: “Do you genuinely believe these words came from me, or have you simply fallen into a trap set by others?”

There are many reasons proving this statement could never have come from Durant, the most important being that during his time with the team, he has never publicly complained about the team’s situation.

One fan shared the fake statement with the comment: “Honestly, in my view, before acquiring Durant, the Rockets were more competitive championship contenders. Now they suffer from a ‘Durant savior complex.’”

Durant then responded: “You’re so eager to smear me. Seeing this fake quote falsely attributed to me, you can’t wait to come out and slander... Looks like I really hit a nerve with you.”

Another fan reposted the fake statement, saying: “The Rockets were perfectly fine a season ago. Back then, the team’s future looked bright, the players seemed happy, and the whole squad was energetic and young. But now, this team lacks spirit, and the players have no chemistry at all—just like last season’s Suns. Hmm... I wonder why that is. #CheerForTheSuns.”

Durant replied to this fan: “A Suns fan, huh? No wonder you believe I said such things, haha, that’s just boring!”

Durant did criticize the Suns for blaming him for the team’s losses last season, but those remarks were made earlier this month after he helped the Rockets defeat his former team.

Even in the 2019 summer when he left the Golden State Warriors to join the Brooklyn Nets, despite apparent chaos within the Warriors, Durant continued to praise his former team after his departure.

The only time Durant publicly expressed near dissatisfaction with his Warriors teammates was in an interview with Wall Street Journal reporter Malika Andrews, where he said he never felt a sense of belonging on the Warriors because, unlike Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green, he was not originally drafted by Golden State.

Looking at the current situation, the Rockets are certainly not a team barely scraping by in the Western Conference that requires Durant to carry them alone. Before losing to the 76ers, the Rockets had already won three consecutive games, including victories over the Timberwolves and Spurs.

In the game against the 76ers, Durant played 44 minutes, shooting 13 of 21 and scoring 36 points, but also committed 8 turnovers.

Even with this loss, the Rockets still hold a 26-16 record, ranking fourth in the Western Conference. However, their schedule is tough, as they will face the Eastern Conference-leading Pistons on the road in the second game of a back-to-back.