Kevin Durant sticks it to a hater who says he will “never be “close” to LeBron James’ level.

Suns star Kevin Durant came back for seconds after earning a win over the Lakers on Thursday. Taking to Instagram after the victory, he was up to his usual social media antics and went out of his way to shut down one fan who was unimpressed with Durant’s objectively stellar performance.

“I can spot a fan who’s still in his feelings about July 4th, 2016,” wrote Durant on Instagram, in response to a fan comment. “Let him create whatever reality in his head that he wants to get help through these trying times lol yall boys corny”

Battling against the haters is nothing new for Kevin Durant, and it seems still he hasn’t lost his appetite for the activity at 35 years old. To Durant’s credit, he was the MVP on Thursday night with 18 points on 58% shooting while holding LeBron to just 10 points on 3-for-11 shooting.  He also led the Suns to a blowout win (127-109). Unfortunately for Durant, he’ll never get the credit he deserves due to a complicated history with the fans.

What Happened On July 4th, 2016?

The date in Durant’s post wasn’t just some made-up time. That day when he revealed his choice to join the Golden State Warriors after nine seasons with the Thunder. As a former MVP and perennial All-Star in his prime, Durant had every right to pick whatever team he wanted that summer, but he chose the one team that nearly broke the NBA.

According to Warriors veteran Draymond Green, he personally called Durant after losing in the Finals that summer and it played a role in his choice to sign there a few weeks later. The announcement shocked the entire basketball world, and many were appalled that Durant would take the easy way out by joining a 73-win team. In the end, he won two championships with the franchise and cemented his legacy as an all-time legend. Unfortunately, the imbalance he caused for those three years still leaves a sour taste in the mouths of many and it’s why Durant is so quick to accuse his haters of being salty all these years later.

Durant Is On A Mission

For most of his NBA career, Kevin Durant has been overshadowed by LeBron James, who was considered the best player in the world for nearly two decades. This season, however, as LeBron winds down his career, it’s Durant who is out in front and actively proving that he can still be a guy who carries a team through the playoffs. This season, through 31 games, he’s averaging 29.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game on 52.6% shooting.

As a team, the Suns are still working to figure out who they are but Durant is keeping them afloat with consistent efforts on both ends of the floor. This season, at 20-18, Phoenix is 8th in the West and in the mix to secure a top 6 seed to avoid the play-in. The same cannot be said for LeBron James right now, who is failing to gain any traction with the 10th-seeded Lakers.