When trash talk turns toxic
When one of the league’s biggest stars uses slurs online, it normalizes toxic behaviour for the next generation
During the chaos of this current NBA season, people uncovered an X burner account which allegedly belonged to NBA superstar Kevin Durant, along with leaks of some of the account’s private messages.
Fans believe the account @GetHigher77 could belong to Durant for two main reasons. First, the account’s profile banner was a picture that Durant had previously tweeted on his main account. Second, Durant has already faced a burner scandal in the past when he accidentally replied to fans defending himself (in the third person) on his main account.
When questioned about this account by the media, Durant dismissed the question entirely, saying that he was not there to “get into Twitter nonsense.”
Some of the leaked tweets and DMs were lighthearted in nature, like the account’s pro-Drake stance in the Kendrick Lamar beef. However, the bulk of this controversy concerns Durant’s alleged comments regarding his former teammates.
In DMs discussing his Houston Rockets costar, centre Alperen Şengün, the burner wrote: “Your franchise player can’t shoot or defend.” This was far from the worst, as the account also referred to his teammates collectively as “crayon eaters” and specifically called out forward Jabari Smith Jr., calling him an ableist slur.
Durant's alleged leaked criticisms were not reserved for just his current teammates. The account condescending joked about missing former All-Star Ben Simmons’ lack of skill, saying that Simmons would at least pass Durant the ball. It also compared Durant's former teammate Devin Booker and then-coach Frank Vogel to “Two dictators / Stalin and Hitler.”
Even Durant’s championship days on the Golden State Warriors were not free from criticism.
The account claimed Steve Kerr hated “darkskins” ever since Michael Jordan punched him in the face, and wrote, “If u don't screen and pass up shots for Steph. U gettin waived.” It also referred to an interaction between Shannon Sharpe and LeBron James as “beyond gay.”
The NBA overall has had a mixed track record when it comes to disciplining players.
Like Durant, Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards was fined US$50,000 over a video of him derogatorily referring to a group of men as “queer.” Three-time MVP Nikola Jokić was also fined for homophobic language.
However, it seems as though the NBA may punish players relative to their star power.
Former Miami Heat centre Meyers Leonard was fined the same amount for using an antisemitic slur, but he was also suspended from all basketball activities, and the saga essentially ended his career in the NBA.
Some fans were more concerned with Durant's alleged investments in Skydio, a company that has sent drones to the Israel Defense Forces to support its genocide of the Palestinian people. The burner account joked, "If they need drones!! We got ya."
Having a burner linked to an NBA superstar could have been hilarious. But if this is truly Durant’s account and reflects his real views, the NBA needs to levy a legitimately harsh punishment to set an example for the rest of the league.
The same NBA punished Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant for flashing a gun under the guise of it being a bad example for the NBA’s younger fanbase. But if the league wants to say this, they must also enforce it when the faces of the league make offensive remarks or use slurs.
This also begs a larger question: how can we actively encourage NBA players to change their behaviour? While US$50,000 is a lot of money, it ultimately represents a drop in the bucket for the NBA’s largest stars. I don’t necessarily believe suspensions are the right move either, as they have the potential to punish fans for the actions of players.
While no clear answer exists, the league’s silence on Durant’s alleged burner account speaks volumes. By failing to address the behaviour at all, the NBA is missing an opportunity to show younger fans that toxicity and harassment have no place in sports.
This article originally appeared in Volume 46, Issue 11, published March 17, 2026.
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