Kevin Durant responds to Charles Barkley's criticism of him

Charles Barkley once again criticized Kevin Durant of the Phoenix Suns recently. During All-Star Weekend, Barkley again said that Durant was a "follower" and "not a leader." And now Durant has responded to that claim from the NBA legend.

"I don't feel like I want people to call me a leader," Durant said during an interview with Boardroom. "But I also don't want people to say I'm not one either because they don't see what goes on behind the scenes of what I talk about or my intentions or relationships that I've built with my teammates and my support staff."

Durant went on, speaking about his personality and how he's not as "charismatic" as others.

"I'm not as charismatic as my peers; I don't have a personality that's fit for TV like my peers," Durant said. "You've got to sell what you're doing as well, and I haven't sold it enough. I don't feel like I need to. I don't feel like I need people to call me a leader, but I also don't feel like I want people to say I'm not one, either."

This isn't the first time that Barkley has leveled the claim at Durant. Just a year ago, he said that Durant is "very sensitive" and "part of a generation that can't be criticized."

After the most recent words from Barkley, Suns coach Frank Vogel pushed back, saying that Durant "definitely leads by example, but he also speaks up when he needs to." He added that not all players will be a "rah-rah type."

Indeed, Durant is much more soft-spoken than other stars and doesn't seem as animated or focused on firing up and inspiring his team like LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kyrie Irving, and others.

Ultimately, Durant's leadership skills should be judged on his team's success. Right now, the Suns have a 33-23 record and are the seventh team in the Western Conference.