2017’s NBA Playoffs have already had their share of moments where two players hash out a disagreement on the court. These kinds of dust-ups have become almost commonplace in the world of the league.

In the past, there were many moments where the arguing and talking back and forth wasn’t nearly as civil as it is right now. Still, the league has clamped down on players that make inappropriate remarks and technical fouls are dished out with increasing speed as referees act quickly.

Some players are in favor of getting things closer to where they were in the past and you can count Kevin Durant as someone who wouldn’t mind the officials taking a step back. In fact, he argues that NBA referees might need a better grasp of how language functions in the game.

Fans have lamented the lack of trash talk in the league for years now and here is one of the best players in the game today saying basically the same thing. Durant told CSN Bay Area, he views the entire process as healthy because emotion is voiced and dealt with rather than festering.

KD said: “I was like, ‘Man, just play on. It’s a part of the game.’ That’s why we started playing, to talk a little s--- here and there. Draymond is really good at it. There are a lot of guys in the league that are good. More guys are quiet now than before.

“But s--- talking is a part of the game. I love it. It’s fun when you’re on the same team as a guy that does it. And then, when you’re playing against it, it’s even better because it brings the best out of you.

“When I came into the league, that’s when the Celtics had just got together. Paul Pierce and KG and those guys talked bad to me as a rookie. I was 19. And they talked so bad to me. And I was talking right back. It was just a fun exchange. That’s what basketball is about.”

Garnett is probably one of the first names that fans would think of when they think of a competitor trying to get under somebody’s skin. He made a living on the court dominating physically and psyching his opponents out mentally.

There are no real players like him in the league now, and with the league not changing any time soon, it is unlikely there will be a successor. Talking will always have a small place in the game though.