Nets’ Kevin Durant reacts to praise from Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan
Brooklyn Nets superstar Kevin Durant has done a lot in his 14 seasons in the NBA. He won the MVP award for the 2013-2014, has led the league in scoring four times, and has won two titles along with winning Finals MVP in those championships.
Durant has received a lot of praise in his career, but in a recent interview with Jamal Crawford on NBA TV, the former Texas Longhorn received props from two of the biggest names in NBA lore. Durant heard adulation from Michael Jordan, arguably the greatest player to ever lace up sneakers, and the late Kobe Bryant, who is regarded as one of the best players of all-time.
Durant tries to go about his craft the right way and for that, he receives praise from those around the game. Here’s what Bryant and Jordan had to say about Durant and Durant’s response:
What Kobe Bryant said about Durant
“I retired not being able to figure him out, how I can stop him.”
What Michael Jordan said about Durant
“He’s tough man. You talk about these two (Durant and Bryant) battling, who’s the best, and Kevin Durant is gonna sneak in the back door.”
Kevin Durant's response to Bryant and Jordan
“It still gives me chills to this day. I play for that validation from my peers. I feel like I’m playing to shift the game forward and I respect what they’ve put in to the game. It’s only right for me to live up to that standard every day. I want them to say, ‘oh you’re doing it the right way’, especially guys like Kobe and MJ, you (Crawford), Bron (LeBron James), and Melo (Carmelo Anthony), all the guys that I watched.”
Interview video
"It still gives me chills to this day. I play for that validation from my peers."@KDTrey5 reflects on what Kobe's and MJ's praise meant to his game pic.twitter.com/HOd8UzPIC4
— NBA TV (@NBATV) December 22, 2022
