When it comes to this Phoenix Suns team, there are a lot of prominent narratives, and not all of them are true. For example, many have speculated about the relationship between Kevin Durant and Mike Budenholzer, surmising that the franchise's star player and its coach do not get along behind the scenes. Some were ready to use the interaction between the two during Phoenix's game against the LA Clippers on Tuesday as fuel for this discussion.
In the first quarter of the contest at Footprint Center, Budenholzer and Durant were having a disagreement about an offensive set. During the exchange, coach Bud grabbed KD's arm in an effort to continue their discussion, but Durant quickly pulled away and walked back to the bench, shouting some additional words back at his coach as well. To an outsider, this could appear as evidence of turmoil within the Suns' locker room. But Phoenix's star was ready to rebuke these claims after the game ended.
"That's what usually happens when you don't know dynamics of the relationship," Durant said. "You catch something on TV, you get a quote and now you pushing that narrative as if me and Bud don't do that s--- all the time. We're competitive as two individuals who want to see things done the right way, and sometimes my way ain't the way that Bud wants to do it and vice versa."
Durant explained his interaction with Budenholzer
Durant continued with his explanation of the exchange. "(Budenholzer) allows me as a player on the team, a veteran on the team, to voice my opinion. If we both didn't care, we would never have stuff like that, you know what I'm saying? So I'm glad that the win is going to sweep all of that stupid stuff under the rug. Because people couldn't wait."
It is safe to say that KD is spot on with his words here. Many were borderline hoping for the team to lose this game so this brief interaction could be used as the main reason for the team's struggles. When in reality, as Durant explains, that is simply the wrong view of things. People who have been in the shoes of these guys and understand what competitors go through in the heat of the moment are far from surprised with what happened here, and they know that this is all part of playing a team sport at the highest level.
Really, what this exchange and the aftermath thereof shows is the very real leadership qualities that Durant brings to the Suns. There have been plenty to question his ability to lead others over the course of his career, but something like this is a perfect example of why KD is a much better leader than he is made out to be a lot of the time. Not being afraid to voice his true feelings and defending his actions prove even more why Phoenix is lucky to have him in their locker room.