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Social media exploded after a heated exchange between actor Michael Rapaport and Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant on Instagram went public. The conversation included derogatory statements made by both celebrities, and everyone - from the film industry to the sports world - had something to say about the exchange.
The spat took place in a private DM setting and Michael Rapaport faced backlash for releasing a private chat to the public. When Kevin Durant was asked about the exchange, he said:
"We been talking like this for years and you get serious today. Wowww."
After an investigation into the matter, Kevin Durant was fined by the NBA for using "offensive and derogatory" language deemed inappropriate by the league.
We got to know Kevin Durant's side of the story and his perspective on the matter, but Michael Rapaport's point of view was still unknown. However, he put all speculations to rest when he attended the famous sports debate show on FOX sports, "Skip and Shannon: Undisputed" and answered questions based on the recent chain of events.
Also Read: How much is Kevin Durant’ Net Worth in 2021?
"I was dealing with a lot" - Michael Rapaport
"Skip and Shannon: Undisputed" is one of the most famous sports debate shows in the US. The hosts, Skip Bayless and Shannon Sharpe, invited Michael Rapaport to listen to his version of the events that unfolded this week.
Rapaport was asked how the exchange began and how it led him to eventually making the conversation public instead of dealing with it privately. He said:
"I was dealing with a lot; I'm moving, there is a lawsuit situation that I'm dealing with, and he hit me out of the blue, 'I cant wait to see your dirty butt, when I see you I'm going to spit in your face' and he kept going on and then he brought up my wife. And at that moment it wasn't Kevin Durant, or a basketball player, it was just another dude in my DMs, and I was like 'yo this ain't cool, were not friends, there's no bro code, I don't know you like that, that's not banter, that's not funny...we are not friends, unless you're telling me my wife is beautiful or that I'm a lucky man ...don't talk about my wife...we are not boys or homies and we have no personal relationship."
Michael Rapaport mentioned how in his long entertainment career he has faced several trolls who have demeaned his movies and acting, but he never had anyone say "I'm going to spit in your face".
Shannon Sharpe reiterated that the person he was talking to wasn't a usual troll in his DMs but was Kevin Durant, a superstar athlete and probably the 2nd or 3rd-best player in the league. Skip and Shannon then asked Rapaport if he regretted going public with the messages and whether he should have taken 24 hours to think about it. Rapaport said:
"I wish I had taken just 5 mins, I didn't need 24 hours...This is my online persona, I'm sure Skip isn't out there shouting about sports in his daily life, and neither is Shannon. I let my online persona get the best of me...I should have ceased and desisted, blocked and moved on...I'm not happy it happened, I wish I hadn't done it...I was going through a lot."
Skip and Shannon ended the discussion by asking Michael Rapaport what he learned about Kevin Durant and what his reaction was when he learnt that Durant was fined $50,000 by the NBA. He responded by saying:
"That's part of being an NBA player. I didn't expect him to be fined 50k or even 50 cents. [I learnt that] he's just as sensitive as we've been talking about since years, if I was KD, I wouldn't be talking to Michael Rapaport, [or anyone else]... I feel like this will bring the Nets closer."
Michael Rapaport finally said he intends on fixing things with Kevin Durant, an abridged version of it that was tried earlier. He further claimed it wasn't thatbig of a deal and that it won't affect his or Kevin Durant's life all that much.
