Nets star Kevin Durant is fined $50,000 by the NBA for his homophobic Instagram attack on Michael Rapaport after publicly apologizing for his language

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Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant has been fined $50,000 by the NBA 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 Tuesday on Twitter, showing the former NBA MVP calling him a 'pale c***sucker' and making references to his wife during the online exchange. The argument appears to have begun in December after Rapaport criticized Durant for an awkward post-game interview.  

On Thursday, prior to the Nets' win over the visiting Charlotte Hornets, the injured Durant said he was sorry for using that language.  

'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.' 

Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant (left) has apologized for the threatening and vulgar comments he directed at Michael Rapaport (right) 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

Durant, who goes by 'Easymoneysniper' on Instagram, called Rapaport at 'Piece of s***'

Durant went on to threaten Rapaport with homophobic slurs and calls to fight outside of a steakhouse in the Manhattan neighborhood of Chelsea. He also referenced a lawsuit that Rapaport filed against Barstool Sports and its founder, Dave Portnoy (right)

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.' 

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. 

While he did apologize, Durant also seemed to dismiss the exchange as just friendly banter 

Durant apologized on Tuesday after Rapaport revealed the rant, although in another post, the former NBA MVP appeared to dismiss the exchange as friendly banter: 'Me and mike talk CRAZIER than this on the regular and today he's pissed....My bad mike, damn!!'

Rapaport did not accept the apology, writing on Twitter that Durant crossed a line by mentioning his wife: 'Don't ever threaten me or speak on my wife P****.'  

Durant did some backtracking on Tuesday afternoon, insisting he did not have any violent intentions with Rapaport. 

'I WOULD NEVER FIGHT MIKE,' Durant replied on Instagram. 'THE PORTNOY THING WAS TOO FAR I SEE..... my bad I apologize.'

Durant then went on to write: 'Wow u acting brand new now?? We been talking like this for years and u get serious today. Wowww. Smhhh.'

In a podcast this week, Rapaport shot down Durant's suggestion that they're really friends, and said he revealed the conversation so he could 'control the narrative.'

'We're not friends, this is not banter, I don't call up my friends and be like I'm going to spit on you.

'That's not locker room talk, we're not s**t talking. That's not how people talk, you're threatening me. You've done it three times.' 

'I wanted to make everyone sees what kind of a b***h a** wackadoo, dumb f**k you are,' Rapaport continued. 'Don't ever slide into my DMs like s**t is sweet, we ain't friends, you don't even have my f**king phone number, cornball.' 

Durant has apologized for the vulgar rant that Rapaport revealed in a series of screen grabs

Rapaport did not accept Durant's apology, saying he crossed a line by mentioning his wife 

Durant and Rapaport did not always have a contentious relationship. 

The two even made a light-hearted video in which Rapaport alternately begs for tickets and complains about the seats that were provided to him by Durant. 

And while Durant is accusing Rapaport of being overly sensitive, he has also faced that same accusation over the years. 

Durant has even been caught using a fake 'burner' Twitter account to attack his online critics. 

After signing with the Golden State Warriors as a free agent in 2017, he snapped at a fan who questioned his decision to leave the Oklahoma City Thunder. 

Durant responded in the third person because he appeared to think he was signed into a burner account: '[Durant] didn't like the organization or playing for [then-Thunder coach] Billy Donovan. His roster wasn't that good, it was just him and [Russell Westbrook]'  

Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant and Rapaport weren't always enemies. They previously made a light-hearted video in which Rapaport begged Durant for tickets to an NBA game 

Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant and Rapaport weren't always enemies. They previously made a light-hearted video in which Rapaport begged Durant for tickets to an NBA game

Obviously fans noticed that Durant was writing about himself in the third person, and quickly seized on the possibility that he had a burner account. 

At a TechCrunch Disrupt event following the incident, Durant defended himself by saying he gets too passionate when discussing basketball.  

'I use Twitter to engage with fans,' Durant said. 'I think it's a great way to engage with basketball fans. I happened to take it a little too far. That's what happens sometimes when I get into these basketball debates about what I really love, to play basketball. 

Durant has been out with a hamstring injury since mid-February, but the talent-laden Nets are currently tied for first in the Eastern Conference standings with the Philadelphia 76ers. 

Listed at 6-foot-10, and widely believed to be taller, Durant has been one of the game's premiere players since being selected by the Seattle SuperSonics with the second-overall pick of the 2007 NBA Draft. The former Texas Longhorns star now has two NBA Finals MVP honors to go with a pair of NBA titles, the 2014 NBA MVP award, and the 2008 Rookie of the Year trophy. 

In 2019, Durant inked a four-year, $164 million sign-and-trade deal with Golden State that sent him to Brooklyn, where he's now paired with other All-Stars such as Kyrie Irving, and James Harden.