Kevin Durant burner account rumors, explained: Why fans think Rockets star is bashing teammates on Twitter originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Houston Rockets star Kevin Durant said all the way back in 2019 that he operated a burner account on Twitter to anonymously post and quietly interact with friends. Has the internet found it?
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Some sleuths believe they have uncovered a burner account used by Durant, and the account’s activity raises a few eyebrows.
Was Durant’s burner account actually found, or could the saga be another instance of online rumors taking on a life of their own?
Here’s what you need to know about the burner account rumors surrounding Durant.
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Kevin Durant burner account rumors
Some X users claim they have interacted with an account named “@gethigher77,” claiming the account is run by Durant. The account, which is now set to private, features a header photo of an owl, which comes from a popular gif Durant has tweeted on his actual account in the past.
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What is the basis for the rumors? For the most part, it’s just speculation. No screenshots contain actual proof that Durant is behind the account, but direct messages sent by the account certainly sound like they are from the perspective of someone playing in the NBA, considering the way it references relationships with other NBA players, from Alperen Sengun and Ben Simmons to James Harden and Russell Westbrook.
In the social media age, anyone can pretend to be anyone. It wouldn’t be hard for an anonymous person to present himself/herself as Durant. However, these are direct messages rather than public tweets, and some believe the individual behind the account wrote messages a bit too similarly to the tenor of Durant’s real tweets.
Durant has not yet commented on the burner account rumors. With the NBA on its All-Star break, the Rockets don’t play again until Thursday.
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Does Kevin Durant have a burner account?
Well, we know Durant has operated a burner account in the past. After a mishap in 2017 that exposed the truth, Durant admitted in 2019 that he had used a burner account to quietly interact with friends.
“I wasn’t used to that amount of attention, you know, from playing basketball. I wanted a place where I can talk to my friends without anybody just butting in my conversations or mixing my words or taking everything out of context because I enjoyed that place,” he told ESPN’s “The Boardroom.”
When Twitter/X alternative Threads launched in 2023, Durant joked about the saga. “On threads with a burner. Come find me,” he tweeted.
Durant’s Threads burner has yet to be found, but many of the rumors about his alleged burner on X stem his very real history of using such accounts.
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What is a burner account?
A burner account is an anonymous social media account created by an individual, whether to respond to posts or simply view posts without being tracked.
A few celebrities have found their names in the headlines for using burner accounts, and it’s not a surprise that many well-known figures would go that route. In an era in which just about all social media activity is closely followed, a burner account can allow an athlete to fly under the radar.
Former 76ers general manager Bryan Colangelo was forced to resign in 2018 after his burner account was unearthed, while even former U.S. presidential nominee Mitt Romney had his burner account exposed by Slate.
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Durant has admitted to using burner accounts in the past, so a potential revelation about his social media activity isn’t quite as shocking.
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What is Kevin Durant’s rumored burner account?
The account rumored to be connected to Durant is named “@gethigher77.” The account is now set to private, so no tweets are visible.
The account was created in August of 2021 and has 75 followers. Because the account is private, there is no way to see which accounts it is following,
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Alleged Kevin Durant burner tweets
Because the account is private, no one can see tweets sent by it at the moment. Direct messages, however, are at the center of the speculation, and they would be fairly explosive if they are proven to be connected to Durant.
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The following direct messages were sent by the account:
“Your franchise player can’t shoot or defend. That’s a wayyyyyyy bigger issue than my turnovers,” referring to Alperen Sengun.
“I can’t trust Jabari [Smith] to make a f—- shot or get a stop … He’s lowkey r—–.”
“I swear I miss Ben Simmons. Least that n—- would give me the ball”
“Slightly delusional but I understand him,” referring to James Harden.
“I wouldn’t say [Kyrie Irving] was competing wit me but that lightskin and that triple double cocaine bear was,” apparently referring to Russell Westbrook.
Two dictators. Stalin and hitler. Mussolini and Kim jong un. The suns are my team when we lose and [Devin Booker’s] team when we win,” refering to Booker and former Suns coach Frank Vogel.
To this point, there is no evidence that conclusively proves the messages were sent by Durant.
Kevin Durant burner account history
Durant’s burner account usage was caught in 2017, when he accidentally sent a tweet intended for his burner account from his official account.
“He didn’t like the organization or playing for Billy Donovan. His roster wasn’t that good, it was just him and [Russell Westbrook],” Durant tweeted, speaking about himself in the third person.
In 2019, Durant admitted to using burners to interact with friends under the radar. The 2017 interaction indicates Durant, at least on one occasion, intended to use the account to anonymously defend himself as well.
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When Meta’s Threads launched in 2023, Durant jokingly encouraged his X followers to find his burner account on the site, though it’s entirely possible there was some seriousness behind the comment.
Three years later, more burner account rumors are swirling around the future Hall of Famer and former MVP.
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