Kevin Durant blasts ESPN report on Suns having ‘toxic’ locker room

Kevin Durant became the latest member of the Suns to push back on a report from an ESPN reporter that described the Suns locker room as “toxic,” labeling the suggestion “unfair and lazy” while speaking with the media after practice on Monday. 

The Suns’ star called out ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne by name when the topic was broached by a reporter during the roughly 12-minute conversation. 

“I try to tell people who aren’t around this game much is that it’s easy to say our locker room is not connected when you come in there 45 minutes before and guys are in their game mode and not talking to each other,” Durant said. 

“Four or five guys might be in the training room, a few guys might be in the weight room. it’s not a welcoming environment right before the game. That’s part of getting ready to play. I think it’s unfair and lazy to categorize our team as toxic when you come in there for five minutes throughout four months. That’s the only time you’ve been in our locker room and then you can make a narrative? 

“I don’t think that’s fair to us, but like I said, that’s a part of the game. Part of the business we signed up for. S–t is not fair in this game, but we got to deal with it and accept it.”

Warning: Adult Language

The initial comment about the vibe in the Suns’ locker room came last week during an appearance on “NBA Today” on ESPN during the NBA trade deadline. 

Shelburne used the word “toxic” to describe the room before mentioning that a shootaround the previous day in Oklahoma City was “very awkward because everybody was on pins and needles wondering what they were going to do.”

Multiple people associated with the Suns pushed back on the narrative, including Suns guard Grayson Allen and head coach Mike Budenholzer. 

Budenholzer called the description “not true” and Allen said “it was a very happy locker room” after the Suns beat the Jazz on Friday night in overtime.