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Hall of Famer Michael Irvin did not expect to get pulled into Kevin Durant’s NBA controversy while relaxing overseas.
“Just kind of chilling on the beach in Puerto Rico, trying to get my breath back,” Irvin said in a video posted to his YouTube channel. “And even over here, I’m catching a stray bullet.”
Irvin reacted to screenshots circulating online from an alleged burner account linked to Durant. The posts included commentary about Stephen Curry and featured a well-known meme image of Irvin looking stunned.
“My peeps send me this. I’m over here trying to recover. My peeps send me this. I said, ‘What the heli? What the heli? What is that? What is it?’ Let me read this to you. What Kevin Durant said on allegedly one of his burner accounts,” Irvin said.
He then questioned why his image appeared in the exchange. Influencers on social media are quoting the video and hysterically laughing at it.
“Kevin Durant even uses my picture to talk about one of the greatest players to ever hoist up a basketball,” Irvin said. “Why you got to use my image to make that point? You know what I’m saying?”
Steph Curry Message Resurfaces
One alleged message read, “I started holding steph accountable in film and ni-gas looked at me like this.” The text appeared above the meme image of Irvin.
Another screenshot claimed, “If u don’t screen and pass up shots for Steph. U gettin waived,” per Essentially Sports.
Durant joined the Golden State Warriors in 2016 and played alongside Curry under head coach Steve Kerr. While the partnership produced two championships, discussion about offensive hierarchy followed Durant throughout his tenure.
The burner controversy did not stop at Curry.
Screenshots also showed alleged criticism of Russell Westbrook, Durant’s former teammate with the Oklahoma City Thunder. One message mocked Westbrook’s historic triple-double season (he called him a triple-double cocaine bear) while defending Kyrie Irving.
Other posts targeted Alperen Sengun and Jabari Smith Jr., questioning their skill sets and reliability.
None of the screenshots have been verified. Durant has not confirmed ownership of the account.
All-Star Weekend Adds Fuel
The situation gained additional traction during NBA All-Star Weekend.
Video clips showed Durant walking around the arena with his phone in hand, expression tense. As players smiled and interacted on the floor, Durant appeared focused on his screen. In one viral clip, a staff member redirected him before cameras caught what looked like a tight grin.
Durant finished the All-Star contests with 12 total points across three games, shooting 5-of-15 in 28 minutes.
The timing of the alleged screenshots and Durant’s demeanor fueled online speculation, especially given his history. In 2017, Durant acknowledged using burner accounts after mistakenly responding to a critic from his verified profile.
For Irvin, the controversy arrived unexpectedly. He made clear that he did not expect his image becoming part of the narrative.
From a beach in Puerto Rico to the center of NBA social media discourse, Irvin found himself reacting to drama he never signed up for.
Burtland Dixon Burtland Dixon is a sports journalist covering the NBA and athlete culture for Heavy.com. A former Division II athlete turned journalist, he offers a unique blend of locker room perspective and storytelling expertise. He has more than eight years of experience in digital media and previously served as an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints, with additional bylines at Idolator, Trend Chaser, and Buzznet. Burtland is based between California and New York. Instagram: @showmi_more More about Burtland Dixon
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