In today’s sports landscape, athletes frequently engage with media narratives surrounding them, often questioning the reporters or commentators involved. This trend has been notably observed with Kevin Durant of the Phoenix Suns, who recently responded to an ESPN report by Ramona Shelburne branding the Suns’ locker room as “toxic.” On Monday, he voiced his disagreement with her characterization:
Kevin Durant on ESPN report that Suns locker room has been “toxic”: “Yeah, I heard Ramona Shelburne come out and say our locker room is toxic. I try to tell people who aren’t around this game much is that it’s easy to say our locker room is not connected when you come in there 45… pic.twitter.com/SUkcGHmzGF
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) February 10, 2025
Durant’s remarks were a reaction to comments from Shelburne on ESPN’s NBA Today, where the show’s discussion focused on the Suns amid various trade rumors, which largely didn’t materialize except for their deal sending Jusuf Nurkić and a 2026 first-round pick to the Charlotte Hornets for Cody Martin and guard Vasilije Micić along with a 2026 second-round pick. Before Shelburne spoke, host Malika Andrews presented Tim McMahon’s observations regarding the team’s recent 140-109 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, highlighting a “glum” atmosphere exacerbated by persistent trade speculation.
Shelburne elaborated on McMahon’s insights, stating, “The word I would use, he used glum, I’ll use toxic. That shootaround yesterday I heard was very awkward, very weird in Oklahoma City because everybody was on pins and needles wondering what they were going to do. Now you have this reset where, how do you move forward as a team when there was a clear mandate here that they have to do something? If they’re not able to get anything done… It’s hard to move forward… because Kevin Durant said no.”
This reporting clash highlights that both Durant and Shelburne present valid points but may be addressing different aspects. Durant is right that brief glimpses into the locker room 45 minutes prior to a game may not accurately reflect the team’s internal dynamics, and he is also correct that Shelburne, as a national reporter, doesn’t have a consistent presence in that environment. However, Shelburne, who has extensive experience covering the NBA, asserted that her remarks stemmed from conversations with sources affiliated with the team, lending credence to her evaluation, even if “toxic” was her own word. While uncertain about the specific roles of Shelburne’s sources, they may possess insights about locker room sentiments, perhaps even more so than local media members consistently present.
Understanding a team’s mood is inherently challenging, as it involves interpreting the emotions of numerous individuals, each with their own perspectives. Durant can, of course, question assessments made from the outside and critique terms like “toxic.” Nevertheless, the crux of the matter remains that Shelburne’s report was founded on sourced information, suggesting that the “toxic” label may reflect sentiments voiced by those within the organization, even if not expressed verbatim as such.
