Stephen A. Smith Claims an ‘African American’ Could Have Fixed Kevin Durant’s Feud with Warriors: White Executives ‘Keep People at Bay’

Despite owning their personal feud, Kevin Durant and Draymond Green are blaming Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr and team president Bob Myers for their breakup following the 2018-19 season.

According to ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, if the Warriors had a Black executive in a position of power, the feud between Durant and Green may have been handled in a way that could have kept the roster intact.

“There was no one of African American descent that had any kind of cache within the organization in folks eyes that could have brought KD and Draymond together,” Smith said on ESPN’s First Take. “That’s the perception leaguewide no matter where you turn.”

Green and Durant infamously had an emotional shouting match during their final season together, with the latter eventually leaving Golden State for the Brooklyn Nets as a free agent. The feud was theirs, but Durant and Green believe Kerr and Myers, who are both White, handled the dispute poorly. Durant and Green did not cite race as an issue when they openly discussed the issue during an interview for Bleacher Report.

“It’s not about numbers, it’s not about bodies,” Smith said. “It’s about individuals of African American descent, employed by those organizations and what kind of power and influence are they truly granted to cultivate relationships and make a difference.”

“You have a lot of these White executives in positions of power and even though there are Black people employed, those executives are incredibly guarded,” Smith continued. “They keep people at bay because they want to be the ones to have the relationship. They don’t want you to be the one to do so, because that can pose a threat. Ultimately, your relationship with the players can elevate to such a degree that you become empowered and usurp their authority.”

“The players notice this kind of stuff,” Smith added.

Smith has been vocal about the need for more Black representation in the coaching and executive ranks of the NBA. Earlier this year, the ESPN star even called out NBA players for being too quiet on the issue, demanding that they vocalize the need for more Black people be put in positions of power within the league.

Watch above via ESPN

Have a tip we should know? tips@mediaite.com