The Houston Rockets’ offseason has begun after taking a 98-78 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, ending their quest to complete the first-ever 0-3 series comeback.
One of the major issues surrounding the Rockets this season was the alleged divide between the team and their leader, Kevin Durant.
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Around the All-Star break, allegations emerged accusing Durant of running at least one burner account on social media and trashing several of his teammates while in group chats on the account.
According to a new report by The Athletic’s Williams Guillory and Sam Amick, this became a significant issue in the locker room and was never fully resolved.
“Several league sources with close ties to Rockets players indicated the social media situation was a significant distraction, one that was never truly resolved internally,” they wrote.
Shortly after the allegations went viral, Durant brushed off the situation when speaking to reporters.
“I know you’ve got to ask these questions, but I’m not here to get into Twitter nonsense,” Durant said. “I’m just here to focus on the season and keep but pushing. But I get you have to ask those questions. My teammates know what it is, we’ve been locked in the whole season.”
In terms of on-court success, the results for the Rockets this season were mixed. At some points, they looked like an elite contender, but at others they seemed like a disjointed team headed for a .500 season.
Multiple injuries hampered Durant down the stretch, forcing him to miss most of the team’s first-round series loss to the Lakers. Their future now seems unclear and the noise surrounding Durant’s faith in his teammates has only made the fog thicker.
James Parker is a sports writer for Ball Exclusives, follow him on X @TheJames_Parker
