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Warriors star Kevin Durant had seen and heard enough before deciding to create a fake Twitter account and fire back at his social media haters.

Durant is a unique case given his status as one of the league's most recognizable stars and a guy who took a lot of heat for being a frontrunner for joining Golden State. But criticism is something that reaches all NBA players in one form or another, whether it be online or in person from people in the stands.

Wizards forward Kelly Oubre, Jr. gets his fair share of insults and can see why Durant was pushed over the edge.

"I would 100 percent say that I've had the urge to get a fake Twitter, but I never did it," Oubre said on the Wizards Tipoff podcast. 

"But Kev, at the end of the day with people, it's the whole world attacking him for the decision he made and he succeeded off his decision. Sometimes people get fed up because at the end of the day, we're just like everybody else. We might be at this pedestal, our talents might have gotten us to a certain place, but we're human beings. We think the same as other people. We do the same things as other people. So, he pretty much said that 'I'm one of y'all.' All I do is just play basketball better. That's probably why he got the urge to get a fake Twitter, man. People feel like they can say whatever they want to us and us not say anything back because technically we can't. But it's still not fair for people to take advantage of us, man. I respect Kev."

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Oubre, 21, has played two seasons in the NBA and isn't a starter on the Wizards, but that doesn't mean he isn't targeted by opposing fans. He of course found himself as the center of attention at TD Garden this spring when the Wizards were battling the Celtics in the playoffs. Oubre was suspended for Game 5 after he was ejected for pushing Kelly Olynyk to the ground. Oubre was then greeted by chants of 'f*** you, Oubre' by thousands of screaming New Englanders.

"Boston is definitely probably the worst. Me and K.O. had our little party. We had a good time. Boston is definitely the most interesting, but everywhere you hear a lot of stuff, honestly," Oubre said.

So, what does Oubre hear most often? Well, it's a little weird and unexpected.

"People call me a lesbian a lot. They think I look like a female girl or a teenage girl or something. I understand I'm a pretty dude. They might be mad that their wife likes me or something," he said.

"I'm not a lesbian. I'm a grown man. I've heard that multiple times. I guess it's something to try to get under my skin, but at the end of the day I know who I am. The whole Boston crowd screaming 'F U Oubre,' that was pretty creative of everybody in their arena. But I loved it, it was just part of the game."

One quick Twitter search of 'Oubre' and 'lesbian' sure enough proves that this particular insult goes back several years.

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Oubre knows that comes with the territory of being a so-called pretty boy and isn't about to complain.

"Well, you know, I can thank the lord for that I guess," he said.Oubre also talked about improving his vertical leap this offseason, fashion, dogs and why he loves the rapper Travis Scott on the podcast.

Listen to the full episode right here:

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The Washington Wizards will have a first round pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. Here is the latest in our series on draft prospects who could fall around where the Wizards will select...

2019 NBA Draft Wizards Prospect Preview: Cam Reddish

School: Duke

Position: Small forward

Age: 19 (turns 20 in September)

Height: 6-8

Weight: 218

Wingspan: 7-1

Max vertical: N/A

2018/19 stats: 13.5 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 1.9 apg, 1.6 spg, 0.6 bpg, 35.6 FG% (4.3/12.0), 33.3 3PT% (2.5/7.4), 77.2 FT%

Player comparison: Andrew Wiggins, Kevin Knox

Projections: NBC Sports Washington 8th, NBADraft.net 10th, Bleacher Report 8th, Sports Illustrated 5th, Ringer 9th

5 things to know:

1. Reddish looks the part as a future NBA star given he is 6-foot-8, athletic and smooth. As far as the eye test goes, he passes it. But Reddish is maybe the most controversial prospect in this class because his production in college did not match. He often faded into the background as teammates Zion Williamson and R.J. Barrett stole the show at Duke. 

2. Even when Williamson went out due to injury, Reddish didn't exactly step up. He averaged 16.2 points, but shot only 35.5 percent from the field and 30 percent from three while Williamson was down. Many evaluators feel like Barrett helped his draft stock during that time, while Reddish went in the other direction.

3. The lack of efficiency may be the biggest red flag for Reddish. He shot an ugly 35.6 percent overall and 33.3 percent from three. This was despite him playing with two future top-five draft picks. He could have taken advantage of the attention they drew from opposing defenses, but was not able to. Reddish looks like he would be a good shooter, as he has smooth mechanics. But just because your shot looks good, doesn't mean it will go in at a high percentage. Just ask Russell Westbrook.

4. There are questions about Reddish's motor and mindset. Though the fact he often deferred to Williamson and Barrett could speak to his willingness to make sacrifices, teams are usually seeking a killer instinct in their top draft picks. And Reddish drew criticism for his passiveness on both ends. He has the potential to be a top-flight defender, which is why many have compared him to Paul George. But George is the defender he is not only because of his athleticism.

5. Reddish's father played in college at nearby VCU, where the Wizards used to hold their training camp as recently as 2017. The younger Reddish ended up going to Duke as the third-ranked player in his class, according to ESPN. He was a McDonald's All-American.

Fit with Wizards: 

Reddish checks off several boxes when it comes to his potential fit with the Wizards. He plays small forward and the Wizards will probably need a few of those now that they have traded both Otto Porter Jr. and Kelly Oubre Jr. and probably won't re-sign Trevor Ariza. Reddish would also offer them a high-upside player, which they lack. 

Aside from John Wall and Bradley Beal, and despite the promise some of their young players have shown, no one else on their roster seems like a safe bet to be an All-Star someday. Reddish would give them a lottery ticket of sorts, the type of guy who could change the franchise if he reaches his ceiling.

Reddish, though, might present some of the same issues they had with Porter. Like Porter, he could struggle with getting his shots alongside Wall and Beal. Also, if the Wizards are ever going to win something of real consequence, they need a player or two who could someday surpass Wall and Beal. Porter was never able to do that and there are reasons to believe Reddish won't, either.

As far as small forwards go, both Barrett and De'Andre Hunter of Virginia may be better options for the Wizards. They seem like sure-bets and each offer something the Wizards are missing. But if both are gone, Reddish could very well be the best option.

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The Washington Wizards' general manager search just ramped up thanks to the Portland Trail Blazers.

It's been over five weeks since Wizards owner Ted Leonsis fired team president Ernie Grunfeld. While longtime Wizards executive Tommy Sheppard took over duties on an interim basis, the front office lacks a permanent leader. 

There's some reason for urgency with the June 20 NBA Draft looming, but Leonsis has shown patience with the introspection process after a trying 32-50 season. 

Since shortly after Grunfeld's exit, numerous sources have told NBC Sports Washington they believe the reason for the owner's methodical approach involves Denver president of basketball operations Tim Connelly.

Connelly is considered a strong if not leading candidate for the Wizards' opening. However, Connelly wasn't expected to fully explore a move until the Nuggets' playoff run ended.

That run ended Sunday with a 100-96 loss to Portland in Game 7 of the Western Conference second-round series.

Despite the exit, the Nuggets delivered one of the top seasons in franchise history with 54 wins during the regular season. The roster is loaded with young talent including MVP candidate Nikola Jokic and rising star Jamal Murray. Depending on what transpires with Kevin Durant and Golden State this off-season, Denver could be poised for a deep run in the Western Conference postseason next season.

So, why would Connelly consider leaving Denver for the Wizards?

Because the Baltimore native began his NBA front office career in Washington, and the Wizards opening, as NBC Sports Washington reported on April 30, is considered Connelly's "dream job."

Regardless, why do we think the Nuggets would consider letting a young, successful general manager get away?

Because they let another GM with a similar profile walk this decade.

Denver owner Stan Kroenke and team president Josh Kroenke faced almost the same situation in 2013 with then-general manager Masai Ujiri, who also factors into the Wizards' current front office opening. 

Ujiri worked in the Toronto Raptors front office until Denver hired him in 2010 to run its front office. The Nuggets won 57 games during the 2012-13 regular season during which ownership and Ujiri agreed in principle on an extension. 

Before any papers were signed, Ujiri returned to Toronto in June 2013 to take over as the Raptors' president of basketball operations. From the Associated Press:

Kroenke said he wasn't going to stand in the way of Masai Ujiri leaving for his dream job as GM of the Toronto Raptors last week… 

Ujiri and Kroenke had a handshake agreement on a new deal earlier this year, but Kroenke said the one team he would allow to step in and break up their partnership was the Raptors, the team that had given Ujiri his first shot at a front office job.

He said Ujiri told him not to try to match the reported five-year, $15 million offer from the Raptors because he'd already made up his mind he wanted to return to Toronto.

The Nuggets then hired a 36-year-old Connelly, who previously spent over a decade in Washington, away from New Orleans.

Connelly received an extension this season, Denver announced in February. That signed document likely plays a factor in Connelly's unwillingness to be interviewed for the Wizards opening, but an openness to consider the job if offered the position, a league source told NBC Sports Washington last month.

As long as the next hire is someone currently with an NBA front office, the Wizards will be fine entering this week's NBA Combine. That person will be in Chicago checking on Zion Williamson, Ja Morant, and other 2019 prospects. Sheppard, a candidate for the Wizards' front office opening, will be at the Combine for Washington. 

Another league source floated the theory of Sheppard, the VP of Basketball Operations under Grunfeld, remaining in the front office even if Connelly arrives. The two remain good friends since their days together in Washington last decade. 

That Connelly has not entirely ruled himself a non-candidate also keeps the Wizards rumor alive. 

From the Denver Post's Mark Kiszla four days after Grunfeld's firing:

When I asked Connelly once if he was a candidate [in] Washington, then doubled back to give him a second opportunity to squash the speculation, he declined to kill the story with a simple reaffirmation of his long-term commitment to the Nuggets.

"What did I just tell you?" Connelly said. "I'm the Denver Nuggets president. Everything else is speculation."

Rather than engage in speculation, let's not stray from what we know to be true. The basketball roots of Connelly, who grew up in Baltimore and began his NBA career as an intern for the Wizards in 1996, can be traced to the Eastern seaboard, not the Rocky Mountains. 

NBC Sports Washington previously reported that personal considerations make the idea of returning to the area attractive for Connelly, according to sources.

Kiszla also reported, "The Nuggets have traditionally not paid top dollar for their basketball operations chief, which is no small reason why Masai Ujiri departed for Toronto in 2013."

The Athletic reported last week that Connelly's two-year extension would pay the executive "somewhere just north of $2 million per year through 2021" per league sources. The site also first reported the Wizards interest in Connelly.

Ujiri's Raptors play their own Game 7 Sunday night against Philadelphia. He received an extension in 2016, but NBC Sports Washington reported on April 30 that Ujiri is at least intrigued by the idea of moving to Washington. 

It's unclear if Leonsis would make the financial commitment or trade assets possibly required to land either Connelly or Ujiri if available. 

Much of the Wizards' future is uncertain until the owner makes a public statement for the first time since April 3. At the time, Leonsis stated a desire for a thorough review of the organization's structure and processes. He subsequently hired an outside consultant.

Sheppard, former Hawks GM Danny Ferry and Thunder VP of basketball operations Troy Weaver are among the known candidates interviewed by the Wizards. Those interviews took place two weeks ago. 

There may not be another one now that the Nuggets' season is over. 

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