Kevin Durant says comments about him and LeBron James by news pundit were 'racist'
Kevin Durant was blunt in how he felt about Laura Ingraham's response
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2 min read
Kevin Durant and LeBron James' video on Uninterrupted covered a multitude of topics: being All-Stars, being rich black men and living under President Donald Trump. James has been a vocal critic of Trump in the past, and this was no different. "(Trump) doesn't give a f--- about people," James said, and Durant agreed with him.
That prompted Fox News host Laura Ingraham to respond to their comments about Trump. She said they should "shut up and dribble" instead of giving their thoughts on the president of The United States.
In an interview with USA Today's Sam Amick, Durant responded to the news anchor's comments. He was blunt in his feelings.
While Ingraham would later put out a statement claiming there was "no racial intent" behind her words, Durant simply doesn't agree.
"To me, it was racist," he said while shaking his head.
Q: So how did her comments hit you when you first heard them?
A: "It didn't hit me. Ignorance is something I try to ignore. That was definitely an ignorant comment. I do play basketball, but I am a civilian and I am a citizen of the United States, so my voice is just as loud as hers, I think – or even louder. I can't focus on that. I think we're doing some good things out here, using our platform, and I think what me and LeBron did with Uber (and UNINTERRUPTED) the other day when it came out, I thought it was great. I thought a lot of people enjoyed it.
James responded to the comments as well in an Instagram post. In lights is the phrase "I Am More Than An Athlete" with the caption "We will not shut up and dribble"
This isn't the first time Durant and Trump's paths have crossed this way. Over the summer, the Warriors' invitation to the White House was rescinded by Trump. Durant had already made a comment before that saying he wouldn't go. "I don't respect who's in office right now," Durant said.
Ingraham sent out a statement through Fox News on Tuesday:
"In 2003, I wrote a New York Times bestseller called 'Shut Up & Sing,' in which I criticized celebrities like the Dixie Chicks & Barbra Streisand who were trashing then-President George W. Bush. I have used a variation of that title for more than 15 years to respond to performers who sound off on politics. I've told Robert DeNiro to 'Shut Up & Act,' Jimmy Kimmel to 'Shut Up & Make Us Laugh,' and just this week told the San Antonio Spurs' Gregg Popovich to 'Shut up & Coach.' If pro athletes and entertainers want to freelance as political pundits, then they should not be surprised when they're called out for insulting politicians. There was no racial intent in my remarks - false, defamatory charges of racism are a transparent attempt to immunize entertainment and sports elites from scrutiny and criticism. Additionally, we stated on my show that these comments came from an ESPN podcast, which was not the case - the content was unaffiliated with ESPN."
