5 reasons why Kevin Durant is having a forgetful 2017 offseason

#3 " Nobody wants to play in Under Armours, I'm sorry."

Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry

Maybe it was all meant to be light-hearted and it was just a joke between him and teammate Stephen Curry. On a podcast with Bill Simmons in late August, Durant when asked why the University of Maryland has failed to lure local prospects.

A Maryland native himself, Durant cited the reason to be the school's apparel deal with Under Armour as the main reason.

“I think a lot of kids, to be honest, they don’t choose Maryland unless they play in like an Under Armour system coming up,” Durant said to Simmons. “Shoe companies have a real big influence on where these kids go. Nobody wants to play in Under Armours, I’m sorry. The top kids don’t because they all play Nike.”

Durant is among Nike's biggest athletes but what's the need to spark a debate between the two sneaker brands when Stephen Curry hadn't thought of the same while pitching him to join the team in 2016.

Curry, a thorough professional, dealt with the controversy well. Speaking with Charlotte Observer's Scott Fowler, Curry said he had spoken to Durant and cleared the air regarding the issue and that the matter wasn't something that would tear the locker room.