A couple of Philadelphia Legends are bickering on social media.

Sixers great Charles Barkley and Philadelphia Union part-owner Kevin Durant are trading insults in the aftermath of KD’s playoff exit. The first round of the NBA Playoffs saw the Nets getting swept by the Boston Celtics.

For a team that was supposed to be the class of the Eastern Conference, it was a humiliating debacle. Durant never seemed to find a rhythm in the series, and the Nets often looked directionless. 

For Charles Barkley, the problem was simple. KD was a “bus rider.” Wait, what? 

“I tried to tell y’all, all these bus riders, they don’t mean nothing to me. If you ain’t driving the bus, don’t walk around telling me you a champion. All these guys walking around with these championship rings, hey, y’all bus riders. When you’re the bus driver and you’ve got all that pressure when you have to play well or you’re going to get the blame, that’s a different animal.”

Charles Barkley on Inside the NBA via Complex

The implication seemed to be that KD was faltering now that he was the top dog in Brooklyn. The championships from his Warrior days are invalidated as he was merely a “bus rider.” Paying the fare to Steph Curry and making small talk with Klay Thompson. Avoiding eye contact with Draymond Green. You know, normal bus riding stuff.

Now he was the bus driver and things were careening out of control. Kyrie was yelling at the other passengers about how the government wanted to control them. Ben Simmons was sobbing silently while dressed as the Joker. This Nets’ bus was on a ride through a dark night of the soul. Charles Barkley was laying the blame on Kevin Durant.

Kevin Durant had no choice but to respond.

He didn’t go the Skip Bayless route of accusing Chuck of making Ernestine upset. He proceeded to rip Barkley on social media. 

He asked “Where Would Chuck Be Without The Big Homies?”

Pointing out that Barkley had his fair share of talent he played within the league. Including Julius Irving and Andrew Toney on the Sixers early in his career and Scottie Pippen and Clyde Drexler at the end when he played for the Rockets. Kevin Durant made it clear, he’s not alone when it comes to being a superstar that sought out help to win a title.

To his credit, on Tuesday’s Inside the NBA, Barkley seemed to ease up on his comments instead of doubling down. However, he did imply that he could rip KD in response.

We’ll continue to monitor this situation as it develops.

Mandatory Credit: USA Today