The drama in the Golden State Warriors’ locker room seemed to be just a blip on the radar to many, but as time goes on the attitude of their stars may prove more troublesome than originally thought. In a loss to the Dallas Mavericks, Kevin Durant had some choice words for a heckling fan sitting courtside. Kevin Durant has officially been fined $25,000 for “directing inappropriate language towards a fan” as announced by the NBA on Tuesday. Chris Haynes of Yahoos Sports was one of the first to report.
Golden State forward Kevin Durant will be fined $25,000 for telling a heckling fan to “watch the f***ing game and shut the f*** up” during Sunday’s loss to Dallas, league sources tell Yahoo Sports.
These comments came in the midst in the middle of the current three-game losing streak the Warrior’s currently sport, and it’s clear that tensions are rising. The drama began in an overtime loss to the Los Angeles Clippers in which Durant exchanged words with All-Star teammate Draymond Green. Green reportedly “dared” Durant to leave in his upcoming free-agency after some perceived disrespect was shown his direction from Durant.
Kevin Durant has a message for hecklers ??? pic.twitter.com/bi4itAe9Wn
— Def Pen Hoops (@DefPenHoops) November 20, 2018
Durant found out about his fine during a recent podcast recording with Chris B. Haynes.
For those interested, Kevin Durant’s reaction as I break the news of his $25,000 fine right in front of him. Also, his thoughts. pic.twitter.com/1rWgkZV3Kb
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) November 21, 2018
The off-court drama has been compounded by the on-court struggles since injuries took down Steph Curry and Draymond Green over the past week. Missing half of their fearsome foursome has the Warriors’ floundering on the court losing four of their last five games. Durant has struggled with the added pressure from defenses and the scoring of the team has gone down dramatically.
It’s unlikely that the Warriors will be unraveled by a verbal altercation and a few losses, but the cracks in the armor are starting to show for the first time since Kevin Durant joined the team. Golden State will likely get back on track soon, but the struggles are certainly something to keep an eye on.
