With all due respect, Kevin Durant, you don't know what you're talking about in terms of media treatment of Kobe Bryant.
That's the message of a certain King James who resides in Cleveland, according to Cleveland.com.
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"I think the media has done a great job of building Kobe as who he is today," Cavaliers star LeBron James said Tuesday. "There's no reason for me to say that the media has made him (Kobe) look a certain way throughout his career.
"(Kobe's) done unbelievable things and part of the reason why he's big as he is because obviously the work he's put into it, but also the coverage that we all get from you guys," James said. "So, I don't see it that way. And I don't really get involved in that side of things, but I don't see it that way."
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LeBron's message was in response to comments Durant made when he was asked about Bryant's retirement message.
"I've been disappointed this year because you guys [the media] treated him like s---," Durant said, according to ESPN. "He's a legend, and all I hear is about how bad he's playing, how bad he's shooting and it's time for him to hang it up. You guys treated one of our legends like s---, and I didn't really like it. So hopefully now you can start being nice to him now that he decided to retire after this year."
Durant admitted that he's idolized Bryant, and he does have a tenuous relationship with the media after an outburst at the 2015 NBA All-Star Game.
"To be honest, man, I'm only here talking to y'all because I have to," Durant said at the time, according to Cleveland.com. "So I really don't care. Y'all not my friends. You're going to write what you want to write. You're going to love us one day and hate us the next. That's a part of it. So I just learn how to deal with y'all."
Durant was equally combative concerning Bryant's retirement.
"I understand [the media] have to write about the game. Of course I understand that," Durant told ESPN.com. "Kobe hasn't played well, and his team hasn't played well, but did we expect that from them? You did say he was the 93rd-best player in the league, you did have the Lakers as the worst team in the West, but it seems like everybody is happy that he's going out like this. Every game he's played on TV is about how terrible he looks, every article the next day is about how he should retire and give it up. Just killing him.
"I never hear about the Finals MVPs, the accolades. They did it for [former New York Yankee] Derek Jeter, they will do it for Tim Duncan when he leaves, even if he's playing bad. I know you gotta report the games, but you're going too in-depth about how bad he is. You're almost kicking him out the league."
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