Kevin Durant shares surprising four-word reaction to video of his own mid-range prowess

For years, Kevin Durant has been lauded as either the greatest or one of the greatest scorers in basketball.

Not many NBA players have been able to make offense look so effortless. His rare combination of size, handles, and shooting has made him a perennial cheat code, being a small forward trapped in a seven-footer's body.

That was evident again in a clip shared on X that showed Durant's smooth mid-range shooting. Once again, he put up a clinic of a now-defunct style of play in today's NBA. That's why Durant, who's quite active on social media, jokingly took a shot at himself by replying to the clip.

"Those are bad shots," Durant wrote.

Analytics, enthusiasts, and modern-day coaches urge players to shy away from mid-range shots because they're high-risk/low-reward shots, encouraging them to either attack the rim or take 3-pointers instead. Purists, however, argue that players like Durant, who have mastered the fine art of the mid-range, should get to pull up from wherever they want.

Richard Jefferson questions Kevin Durant amid troubling reports

As good as Kevin Durant has been this season, the same cannot be said of the Phoenix Suns. Mike Budenholzer's team is free-falling, and they've even taken center Jusuf Nurkic out of the rotation and demoted three-time All-Star Bradley Beal to the second unit.

Former NBA champion Richard Jefferson reported that Durant isn't getting along with Devin Booker anymore. Jefferson questioned Durant's ability to coexist with another star, and he warned the Suns about trading for Miami's Jimmy Butler, apparently at Durant's request.

“At what time has K.D. been teaming up with his boys worked out the way he would like?” Jefferson said on Thursday. “Because before, he loved Devin Booker. There was a mutual respect. Now, they’re not getting along. Don’t really mess with Bradley Beal. Bradley Beal’s out. Now, they’re gonna bring in Jimmy Butler potentially because that’s what K.D. wants.”

Jefferson still tipped his hat to Durant as one of the best players in the league, even though he's in the midst of his 17th season.

“He’s still one of the best players in the NBA,” Jefferson said. “I think he can still lead a team to a championship.”

Kevin Durant is, without a doubt, a first-ballot Hall of Famer, even if he doesn't win another championship. Then again, with the plethora of superstar teammates he's had, the fans will always demand more from him.