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Lurking beneath the algorithm’s surface lives “vando_vault.” Jarred Vanderbilt’s not-so-secret second account that’s an unfiltered scrapbook of locker room life, memes, hilarious videos, and screenshots that tell the story within the story.
While Durant publicly dismissed the situation as "Twitter nonsense," team sources said the team took the posts seriously and proceeded under the assumption that Durant was at least associated with them. After players returned from the All-Star break, Durant discussed the situation with his teammates in what sources described as "more of a team discussion than a meeting." According to those team sources, Durant said enough that the discussion moved on to other issues that had been simmering within the team throughout the first half of the season.
"I've heard that there were a couple people who were bothered by what he said on the burner account but none of them were in our locker room," one Rockets source said, referring to other players who were referenced in the X direct messages. "I think Kevin might've been worried about it being a distraction to the team. But literally no one cared about it. The guys [he] mentioned are not sensitive about stuff said about them online."
They've probably heard worse in their own locker room, the source said. Between Adams' off-color humor and Udoka's tough-love coaching, Houston's young core has developed relatively thick skin. Not to mention, the source explained, younger players are used to the pitfalls and perils of social media. "Good things came out of both those discussions," the source said. "They got s--- off their chest."
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Michael Porter Jr. is looking for a new home. He’s not leaving the Nets, but he had to vacate his home after the address was made public by an influencer. The Nets forward’s return to the podcast circuit went sideways in an unexpected way after social media influencer Celina Powell entered his home without his consent while he was away and uploaded his address to her more than 3 million followers on her Instagram story, a process known as doxxing.
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. Kevin Durant never discussed the matter in any detail publicly, saying only that he was “not here to get into Twitter nonsense.” Privately, league sources said his teammates agreed to keep the matter in-house while focusing on basketball. It is unclear whether Durant ever clarified to his teammates if the account belonged to him.
The whole thing really blew up on Monday night, when Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. were actually sitting courtside at an Orlando Magic playoff game to support their old Grizzlies teammate, Desmond Bane. The broadcast kept panning over to Morant and Jackson Jr. each time they celebrated a Bane triple, and eventually, fans flocked to social media to post photos of Morant and Jackson Jr, jokingly writing captions along the lines of: “What are they doing?? They have a game tomorrow!” “I just seen my timeline talking about, ‘Don’t they have a game?’” Zinzy said. “And I was like, ‘This is crazy. Like, why do so many people get the reference?’
Tim MacMahon: The Rockets are very sensitive and this has been this has been months long running now. They're very sensitive about the vibe, the perception of the vibes. And I'll just tell you: Has there been a bit of an emotional roller coaster with Kevin Durant being thrust into a leadership role that he was never intended to be in? Yes, there has been. Has there been a massive media overreaction to KD not sitting on the bench in game three? Yes, there has been. Brian Windhorst: That's not what I'm referring to. I'm referring to social media stuff. Tim MacMahon: Well, that too. And look, that was, there was a discussion had among the players and they moved on from it, is what I was told. But like that's part of the KD when I say there's been an emotional roller coaster with KD this season. That's obviously a big part of it.
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Megan Thee Stallion has publicly ended her relationship with Dallas Mavericks player Klay Thompson, accusing him of cheating in an Instagram Story. On Saturday (April 25), the 3-time Grammy winner posted a message about the NBA player (who she didn’t explicitly name, but whose identity was clear) cheating, despite the fact that she had gotten close with his family members. “Holding you down through all your HORRIBLE mood swings and treatment towards me during your basketball season now you don’t know if you can be “monogamous?” Megan wrote. “Bitch I need a REAL break after this one. Bye yall,” she concluded.”
The rapper told Complex via a rep: “I’ve made the decision to end my relationship with Klay. Trust, fidelity and respect are non-negotiable for me in a relationship, and when those values are compromised, there’s no real path forward. I’m taking this time to prioritize myself and move ahead with peace and clarity.”
When the Thunder announced Thursday that Jalen Williams sustained a Grade 1 left hamstring strain during a Game 2 win over Phoenix one night earlier, it should come as no surprise how the star forward chose to break his silence. He took to Instagram to post a clip of Thanos from "Avengers: Infinity Wars." "Dread it, run from it, destiny arrives all the same," said Thanos, the movie's main antagonist. "And now it's here. Or, should I say, I am."
