Kevin Durant, one of the most popular and talented players in the National Basketball Association, had found himself involved in a huge controversy after his controversial comments on visiting India went viral. Back in 2017, the Phoenix Suns’ player had come to India to help spread the growth of basketball in the country. However, his comments about India was not well received by his fans.
When Kevin Durant’s Comments On India Sparked Widespread Criticism And He Had To Later Apologise For His Insensitive Comments
After Kevin Durant went back to the United States, in an interview with The Athletic, he reflected on his experience in India. He said, “I'm thinking I'm going to be around palaces and royalty and gold — basically thought I was going to Dubai. Then when I landed there, I saw the culture and how they live and it was rough.”
Kevin Durant added, “It's a country that's 20 years behind in terms of knowledge and experience…Just a bunch of underprivileged people there and they want to learn how to play basketball.”
Kevin Durant’s comments about India sparked widespread criticism back then, as many of his fans were furious at his reply.
A few days later, Kevin Durant apologised for his comments on India. He issued a statement on social media that read as, "Sorry that my comments about India were taken out of context. I'm grateful for the time I've got to spend there and I'm really pissed about how my comments came off…”
He added, “I spoke about the difference between my imagination and reality there in Delhi…”
In 2017, when Kevin Durant came to India, he made a Guiness World Record when he hosted more than 3000 children for the “largest basketball lesson”. These children were from the Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA Program.
Kevin Durant’s 2017 trip to India was also just days after he led his former team, the Golden State Warriors to their second NBA championship.
Kevin Durant stayed with the Golden State Warriors till 2019 and then signed with the Brooklyn Nets and stayed with the team until 2023.
In 2023, the Brooklyn Nets traded Kevin Durant to the Phoenix Suns and he has stayed with the team ever since.
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Read MoreThe TOI Sports Desk excels in a myriad of roles that capture the essence of live sporting events and deliver compelling content to readers worldwide.
From running live blogs for India and non-India cricket matches to global spectacles featuring Indian talents, like the Chess World Cup final featuring Praggnanandhaa and the Badminton World Championships semifinal featuring HS Prannoy, our live coverage extends to all mega sporting events. We extensively cover events like the Olympics, Asian Games, Cricket World Cups, FIFA World Cups, and more.
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We track news wires for key stories, conduct exclusive player interviews in both text and video formats, and file content from print editions and reporters. We keep track of all viral stories, trending topics and produce our own copies on the subjects.
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