Kevin Durant took offense to Mat Ishbia's recent comments regarding the Phoenix Suns acquiring him from the Brooklyn Nets in February 2023.
The Suns owner told CNBC Sport's Alex Sherman that the Durant trade taught him the importance of establishing a "defined culture" before bringing in a marquee player.
Durant fired back at Ishbia on social media Saturday, saying that he did cultivate the "culture" the owner was seeking.
#blameKD even though KD stayed on top of his game at 36 and got u back this “culture” you love so much. Aye, Matthew acts like I got arrested for a DUI or sumn. Back to threads 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 https://t.co/oy6PZrBC2n
— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) October 17, 2026
Ishbia later responded to Durant, suggesting the 16-time All-Star didn't watch the interview clip that his quote came from.
You obviously didn’t watch the clip. 😂 Didn’t blame you @Kdtrey5, but am happy with the culture we are building here in Phoenix. We got the right guys and right focus now and are excited for this season. Good luck this season in Houston.
— Mat Ishbia (@Mishbia15) October 17, 2026
Durant averaged 26.8 points, 6.3 boards, 4.6 assists, and 1.2 blocks over parts of three seasons in Phoenix. However, the Suns won just one playoff series and missed the postseason altogether during the final year of his tenure.
Phoenix dealt Durant to the Houston Rockets in July 2025 as part of a historic seven-team trade.
The Suns immediately returned to the playoffs following Durant's departure, winning nine more games than the year prior. They were swept in the opening round by the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Still, Ishbia expressed optimism about the club's future and said the team has the right people in the locker room.
"You got to find guys and people that are aligned with the vision of where we're going, the work ethic, the attitude, the care factor around winning, the grind every single day. And that's what we're looking for in Phoenix," Ishbia said.
"Whether it's Kevin Durant or not, it doesn't really matter. It's all about the type of players that we have, and now we've defined it, and so now we only get those type of players."
