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Kevin Durant says his burner accounts were about living 'a normal life'

Liz Roscher
Staff writer

Eighteen months after Kevin Durant’s burner accounts were revealed to the world, the Golden State Warriors star shared his reasons for starting them. And it’s a lot more mundane than you might expect.

Durant was interviewed on the ESPN+ show “The Boardroom,” and here’s what he said when he was asked to explain his anonymous Twitter accounts.

“I wasn’t used to that amount of attention, you know, from playing basketball. I wanted a place where I can talk to my friends without anybody just butting in my conversations or mixing my words or taking everyone out of context, because I enjoyed that place. ... I had an Instagram account that I just use for my friends and family. Like, it’s a cool place for me to just be me instead of worrying about Bleacher Report or Barstool mixing up anything I want to say to CJ or friends from back home, you know? So I just try to ... I guess I try to live a normal life out in the public, I guess.”

Durant makes some good points here. He may be a famous athlete, but he’s also a person. He doesn’t always want to interact with people as Kevin Durant The Athlete. Sometimes he wants to be Kevin Durant The Person, and interact with others on Twitter (including friends and family) as a regular guy. To do that, he has to be anonymous.

OAKLAND, CA - MARKevin Durant told ESPN that he created his burner accounts so he could live "a normal life" outside of basketball. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)CH 05: Kevin Durant #35 of the Golden State Warriors looks on against the Boston Celtics during an NBA basketball game at ORACLE Arena on March 5, 2019 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
Kevin Durant told ESPN that he created his burner accounts so he could live "a normal life" outside of basketball. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

But as much as Durant would like to say it was all about having interactions with friends and family out of the public eye, he was using his anonymous accounts for more than that. He was responding to fan criticisms and making criticisms of his own. In fact, that’s how his burner accounts were exposed. He responded to a fan in his mentions, but he had forgotten to switch from his main account to his burner. He was talking about himself in the third person, which gave it away.

We may never know how many athletes have anonymous burner accounts they use to interact with their family and friends while also responding to critics on Twitter. Until one of them pulls a Durant and forgets to switch accounts, that is.

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