Stephen A. Smith Forgives Kevin Durant, Heaps Praise Amid Latest Contract Update Stephen A. Smith praises Kevin Durant as the Rockets negotiate a new deal with him, trying to turn their core into a co

For nearly a decade, Stephen A. Smith and Kevin Durant have shared one of basketball’s most public love–hate relationships. On-air critiques turned personal. Tweets were exchanged. The narrative stuck: Durant, the mercurial superstar, and Stephen A., the relentless critic who refused to hold back. Yet, something shifted this summer. What once was open disdain now feels like reluctant respect—if not outright admiration.

The catalyst? Kevin Durant in Houston. A move that shook the Western Conference’s balance. A city where the young Rockets, brimming with energy but lacking a finisher, suddenly saw their missing piece fall into place. It has set the stage for a reassessment of old grudges and fresh expectations amid contract negotiations. How far the relationship has come is now becoming ev