NBA star Kevin Durant issues apology over calling India '20 years behind', says comment taken out of context

NBA star Kevin Durant has come out with an apology over his comments on India, which included calling the Asian nation 20 years behind in terms of knowledge and experience.

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NBA star Kevin Durant issues apology over calling India '20 years behind', says comment taken out of context

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NBA star Kevin Durant has come out with an apology over his comments on India, which included calling the Asian nation "20 years behind" in terms of knowledge and experience.

The Golden State Warriors forward tweeted Friday that he's "sorry that my comments about India were taken out of context." Durant made a visit to India recently and spoke about the trip in an interview with The Athletic published this week.

Durant said he plans to return to India to run more promote basketball and that he meant no disrespect. In the interview, Durant marvelled at the "cows in the street, monkeys running around everywhere, hundreds of people on the side of the road" and visible poverty.

"It's a country that's 20 years behind in terms of knowledge and experience," he said, adding that his visit to the Taj Mahal was eye-opening and not what he had imagined. He had expected the monument to be "holy ground, super protected, very, very clean," but instead, as he drove up, it reminded him of places where he grew up near Washington, D.C., he said.

"Mud in the middle of the street, houses were not finished but there were people living in them. No doors. No windows ... stray dogs and then, boom, Taj Mahal, one of the seven wonders of the world."

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