After Hornets head coach Steve Clifford compared him to the former, Kevin Durant stated that he studies and imitates legends like Michael Jordan and the late Kobe Bryant.
Clifford said that more than any other player, Durant’s preparation reminded him of Bryant.
When responding to Clifford’s remarks, KD expressed his admiration for the legendary LA Lakers player and also paid tribute to Jordan.
From Erik Slater, here is what Durant told reporters:
But I’ve been around Kobe and continue to study him to this day. I basically try to do everything he does, just like I did with Michael Jordan.
Therefore, I simply attempt to imitate them as much as possible.
Michael Jordan, Kevin Durant, and Kobe Bryant are arguably the three greatest scorers to ever play basketball.
They are three of the best offensive players because of their ability to get to their positions and put defenses in uncomfortable situations almost every possession.
Durant can make one of the most fair comparisons with it. Similar to how Bryant and Jordan conducted themselves on the court, he devotes countless hours to his craft and is devoted to the game.
Revisited: Kevin Durant, according to Kobe Bryant, is the most difficult player to guard
Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant held a great deal of respect for one another.
Bryant even stated once that Durant was the most difficult player he had to guard because he couldn’t defend him before retiring.
Bryant spoke about this in February 2019 while appearing on the podcast “The Corp with A-Rod and Big Cat”:
Kevin Durant ” That was the one I retired from without really knowing how to stop him.
Because he couldn’t shoot from the right side when he first joined the league, he was easy to defend.
A weakness of his was that he frequently shot across his face.
He also couldn’t turn his shoulder in the post; everything was on his right shoulder.
I didn’t really know if this is related to rhythm. I tried to keep track of how long it took him to move. That rhythm I hadn’t really figured out yet.”
Bryant by and by showed that he concentrated on the game like no other person. Durant is no exception.
Even in his 14th year, the Brooklyn Nets superstar is still looking for ways to improve his game and learn as much as he can from various game situations.