Kevin Durant takes insane dig at Stephen A. Smith over viral solitaire picture during Game 4: "CMON STEVE"

Kevin Durant could not resist taking a dig at Stephen A. Smith, who attended Game 4 of the NBA Finals on Friday. Smith, part of ESPN's NBA Countdown crew covering the championship series, had a good view of the action from where he sat at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. While the intense action went on, a clip of the First Take host playing solitaire on his phone quickly went viral.

Durant promptly reacted to the video with a message on Instagram:

“CMON STEVE”

Kevin Durant calls out Stephen A. Smith for playing solitaire in the middle of Game 4 of the NBA Finals on Friday. [photo: @easymoneysniper/IG]

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The video came from a fan who recorded Stephen A. Smith playing the card game. Once multiple X (formerly Twitter) sites released the clip, the veteran sports journalist promptly reacted to one of them:

“Yep! That’s me. Who would’ve thought….I can multi-task. Especially during TIMEOUTS! Hope y’all are enjoying the NBA Finals.

“This is going 7 games now, peeps!”

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Basketball fans could not help but criticize Smith for playing solitaire instead of focusing on the tightly contested showdown. Kevin Durant, who called the analyst a “clown” in an interview with The Athletic last year, joined the many who trolled Smith.

Stephen A. Smith names New York Knicks as top destination for Kevin Durant amid trade rumors

On Monday, Stephen A. Smith named the top teams he thought Kevin Durant should go to. Smith rattled off the Miami Heat, the Detroit Pistons, the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Houston Rockets. Unsurprisingly, the analyst wanted the former MVP to go to his favorite NBA team, the New York Knicks.

Smith gave his prediction on First Take about Durant’s next team amid persistent trade rumors (Timestamp: 2:00):

“The Mecca. Madison Square Garden. Jalen Brunson in the house. Keep Anunoby if you can. You can let Bridges go. … KD, you should have been in New York to begin with!”

Stephen A. Smith desperately wanted the New York Knicks to land Kevin Durant in the summer of 2019. Durant told the Golden State Warriors he would not return after helping the team to two championships in three years. KD ended up going to New York but played for the Brooklyn Nets, much to Smith’s frustrations.

This offseason, the Knicks are reportedly interested in luring Durant from Phoenix. Smith is all in on bringing the two-time NBA Finals MVP to Madison Square Garden.

About the author

Michael Macasero brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to his coverage of basketball at Sportskeeda with over 18 years of diverse work experience. This includes stints at Convergys, Interpace and RunRepeat.

Michael's background in English and Journalism has provided him with the analytical skills and precision necessary for creating content, and he is a lifelong fan of the Boston Celtics. His favorite players include legends like Larry Bird and Michael Jordan, modern stars like Tim Duncan, and Nikola Jokic, as well as emerging talent like Victor Wembanyama.

Michael respects Gregg Popovich, despite his contentious demeanor in interviews, and recognizes Popovich's genius in adapting his coaching style to maximize the talent on his roster over the years. Michael eagerly anticipates seeing how Popovich will structure the offense around emerging talent like Victor Wembanyama.

Understanding the story and details is crucial to Michael's reporting philosophy and he believes overlooking details, particularly when pressed for time, can lead to misunderstandings and inaccurate conclusions.

Aside from work, Michael's children are his hobbies, and he also likes to go running, swimming and weightlifting.

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Edited by Michael Macasero