Stephen A. Smith goes all Tony Soprano on Kevin Durant (VIDEO)

When Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant strongly denied a Stephen A. Smith report that he was considering a move to the Los Angeles Lakers, tensions between the two heated up over the weekend. And Smith fired back on Monday morning, telling Durant “you don’t want to make an enemy out of me.”

In a somewhat fascinating segment on ESPN First Take, Smith hijacked the desk from co-host Skip Bayless and told Durant, “You don’t want to make an enemy out of me. And I am looking right at the camera.”

pic.twitter.com/nllOb5G5Fq

— Paid Wade (@Joshmaniii) October 5, 2015

While it seemed more like a Sopranos audition tape than sports journalism, this sort of behavior has become sort of the norm for Smith — who tweeted he would he would continue later:

I will respond to @KDTrey5 on @FirstTake right now!!! Then later too, on my radio show. Like I've said repeatedly, I HIDE FROM NO-DAMN-BODY!

— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) October 5, 2015

Durant responded to Smith's original story at the time: “I don’t talk to Stephen A Smith at all. Nobody in my family, my friends, they don’t talk to Stephen A Smith. So he’s lying.”

Smith specified that he never spoke to any of those people in Durant's circle.

But the habit of sports reporters becoming part of the story is getting tiresome. Although Smith did make a point to say that if he was lying in his initial report about Durant going to the Lakers, Durant should sign a long-term deal with Oklahoma City to prove him wrong, his street corner threat doesn't cut it.

Whether or not it is appropriate for journalists and professional athletes to battle in public is one thing, but Smith is in no position to tell Durant what to do with his life in order to prove a point.

Here's Smith's full rant:

Deron Williams: I'm not playing like an elite point guard

On Tuesday, following his poor performance against the San Antonio Spurs the night before, Deron Williams was still down on himself about how the Brooklyn Nets $100 million star was playing this season.

Tonight, Williams gets a chance to face one of the NBA's elite point guards in Thunder star Russell Westbrook but takes an inferiority complex onto the court at Chesapeake Energy Arena with him.

The word elite gets thrown around a lot in sports these days and Williams knows his play doesn't warrant that description so far this season.

"I don't think I'm playing like [an elite point guard]," Williams told The New York Post before practice Tuesday. "I think I can be. But I've just got to figure this thing out."

Williams was being honest about himself but it's hard to argue with his own assessment of his season — especially when he is compared with Westbrook.

In 30 games, Williams is averaging 16.3 points and 7.5 assists while shooting a paltry 39.9 from the field and 30.0 from three-point range.

Better than average but not elite.

Williams whined about ex-Nets head coach Avery Johnson's system hindering his play.  That is a moot point now. Johnson was fired last week and Williams is on his own.

Interim head coach P.J. Carlesimo has suggested that the pressure of being the $100 million face of the team could be contributing to Williams sub-par play.

"He is Deron Williams.  He was Deron Williams (on Monday, when he finished with eight points and two assists), and that's fine," said Carlesimo.  "Honestly, I don't want him thinking, 'I got to get 25 points, I got to get 11 assists, I got to get this, or I have to get this.' He's just gotta play"

But Williams is giving it some thought — maybe too much.

"I'm just overthinking," Williams admitted. "I've never been a player that can go out there and play and think ... I just react.  Now, it's like I come off [a screen] and I'm thinking, 'Should I shoot this? Should I not?'

"I'm just ... I'm not playing the way I should be.  That's all I mean.  It's not injuries.  It's just in my head, and I've got to get it out."