Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images Matthew Lissy is a Senior Staff Writer of Bright Side of the Sun, co-host of the Suns JAM Session Podcast, and has been a credentialed member of the Phoenix media since 2023.
The “coach killer” label was attached to Kevin Durant’s legacy midway through the 2023–24 season and into the 2024–25 season, as the Phoenix Suns parted ways with Frank Vogel after just one year, followed by Mike Budenholzer. Both coaches struggled to “connect” with the players and created friction in the locker room. However, the noise around Durant being a “coach killer” has since quieted, likely because it has become increasingly clear that it wasn’t Durant, but rather Devin Booker, who…
