After the Boston Celtics won convincingly in Game 5 against the New York Knicks, despite the absence of Jayson Tatum, there were some hot take artists working their craft.
Chief among them was Fox Sports's Emmanuel Acho, who boldly declared the Celtics matched up better with the Knicks without Tatum in the lineup. That take reached the eyes and ears of Kevin Durant, who immediately took to social media to respond, making clear that he strongly disagreed with Acho's attempt at stirring the pot.
In Acho's comments on The Facility, he pointed to mindset, rather than talent, as the main reason he thinks Boston would have more success without Tatum.
Durant weighed in, and he didn't pull any punches when roasting Acho for his take.
Hot take artist have ruined the sport. Football guys, no disrespect but yall boys need to stay In ya lanes, u don’t know what it’s like it between these lines man give it a break. Dudes who quit football early to pursue media talkin mental toughness, cut it out
— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) May 15, 2025
"Hot take artist have ruined the sport. Football guys, no disrespect but yall boys need to stay In ya lanes, u don't know what it's like it between these lines man give it a break. Dudes who quit football early to pursue media talkin mental toughness, cut it out," wrote Durant on X.
Durant wasn't alone with those sentiments, as ESPN's Kendrick Perkins also chimed in in agreement.
One the few times I agree with you
— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) May 15, 2025
Tatum went down late in Game 4 with a ruptured Achilles tendon, which he's since undergone surgery to repair. The Celtics will be without him for the remainder of the season, and after winning Game 5 by 25 points, Acho felt the urge to chime in and take a shot at Tatum's mentality.
Durant didn't hesitate to discredit Acho, and suggested that former NFL players turned talking heads should focus on the sport they know best.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Kevin Durant Destroys Emmanuel Acho Over Hot Take About Jayson Tatum and the Celtics.
