Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant found himself being badmouthed by two Mavericks fans on Thursday night - and he had no problem confronting them about it.
The exchange - captured on video and later shared to social media - showcased Durant's quick response after reportedly being called a "b***h" by the fans during the pregame at the American Airlines Center.
Although the atmosphere surrounding the highly anticipated matchup was heated, Durant wasn't about to let some unwanted slander slide, TMZ reports.
As Durant made his entrance onto the court for warmups, the verbal jab directed at him brought the superstar to a halt. The footage captured Durant engaging in a heated exchange with the two Mavericks supporters, who were seated just three rows back from the floor.
Due to the booming pregame music, it is unclear what the basketball star said to them - but they certainly looked like they wanted to smooth things over and pretty quickly. At one point, it sounds like the guy actually tries explaining to Durant that he hosts a sports podcast -- which quickly prompts the Suns star to just walk away.
Despite the tense confrontation lasting approximately 30 seconds, Durant proved that he wasn't somebody to hold a grudge, as he reportedly stopped security from ejecting the fans from the arena, according to WFAA’s Jonah Javad, who was standing courtside and was shooting video.
While the incident threatened to overshadow the game, Durant's on-court performance remained a focal point. Despite delivering 23 points and six rebounds, Durant's efforts were not enough to secure a victory for the Suns, as they succumbed to a 123-113 defeat against the Mavericks.
You can only imagine that the two fans involved in the altercation left the arena satisfied with their courtside experience.
Interestingly, Thursday's confrontation was not an isolated incident in the ongoing rivalry between the Mavericks and the Suns.
Last month, Mavericks' star Luka Doncic found himself at the center of a similar controversy when a fan was ejected from the Footprint Center for making disparaging remarks about his appearance and fitness level - telling him to "get on a treadmill".
In a post-game interview, Durant emphasized the importance of maintaining respectful interactions between players and fans - but stressed to the Arizona Republic that if somebody dishes it out to him, he's going to dish some straight back.
"If somebody talk some s**t to me, I’ll talk it back and we’ll move on," he said. "That’s usually how it should go. Once it gets overboard, little disrespectful to the point you got to stop the game, that’s different. A little quick word here and there is never bad."
After Thursday's pregame, it's clear to see that Durant is a man of his word.
