Nets star Kevin Durant apologizes for homophobic Instagram attack on Michael Rapaport, saying he’s sorry people saw him using that language
Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant has apologized for the threatening and vulgar comments he directed at Michael Rapaport in a private, online argument, which the 51-year-old actor publicized earlier this week.
Rapaport, who now does a sports-centric podcast, shared screen grabs of the conversation Tuesday on Twitter, showing the former NBA MVP calling him a ‘pale c***sucker’ and making references to his wife during the December exchange.
‘I’m sorry that people seen the language that I used,’ the injured Durant said before Thursday’s win over the Charlotte Hornets in Brooklyn. ‘That’s not really what I want people to see and hear from me, but hopefully I can move past it and get back out on the floor.’
The NBA has not released a statement on the matter. Nets coach Steve Nash said the team discussed the comments internally, but would not reveal the specifics of that conversation.
Curiously, the comments were revealed a day after a federal judge dismissed a defamation lawsuit Rapaport filed against Barstool Sports and its founder Dave Portnoy over a t-shirt depicting the actor with a case of herpes. Durant actually referenced that lawsuit in one of the Instagram attacks he launched at Rapaport in December.
‘Your wife mad as f*** cuz u wasting that little bit of money on a lawyers cuz u can’t take a joke,’ Durant wrote in a direct message to Rapaport in December.
Judging by the screen shots, the argument appears to have begun in December after Durant had an awkward post-game interview with TNT studio analyst and former NBA star Charles Barkley. In the satellite post-game exchange, Durant abruptly responded to Barkley’s lengthy questions with one-word answers like ‘yeah.’
‘KD seemed deeply in his feelings with the [TNT] crew after the game,’ Rapaport tweeted in December. ‘DAMNIT he’s super sensitive about everything. Don’t do the interview.’
In his response over direct messages, Durant lashed out at Rapaport over the insult.
Durant went on to threaten Rapaport with homophobic slurs and calls to fight outside of a steakhouse in the Manhattan neighborhood of Chelsea.
Rapaport told Durant to go ‘help kids in Brownsville, Brooklyn & stop being a f***ing Puzz.’
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