<p>NEW YORK — Kevin Durant was fined $50,000 by the NBA on Friday for his offensive and derogatory language in social media messages to actor Michael Rapaport.</p>
<p>Rapaport released images of the private messages Tuesday on his Twitter account, and they included homophobic and misogynistic language from the Brooklyn Nets star.</p>
<p>Durant <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-new-york-media-social-media-brooklyn-nets-8cfdc8d9d8b6bfdea12c3df0e8ce14dd">apologized Thursday</a>, saying: “I’m sorry that people seen the language that I used. That’s not really what I want people to see and hear from me, but hopefully I can move past it and get back out on the floor.”</p>
<p>He is hoping to return soon from a strained left hamstring.</p>
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