Kevin Durant on emulating Kobe Bryant: “I just try to copy everything he does, same with Michael Jordan”
Kevin Durant said he studies and copies legends like Michael Jordan and the late Kobe Bryant after Hornets head coach Steve Clifford compared him to the former. Speaking before Wednesday's game against the Nets in Brooklyn, Clifford said Durant's preparation reminded him of Bryant more than any other player.
KD didn't hesitate to admit his admiration for the LA Lakers legend and also paid tribute to Jordan when reacting to Clifford's comments. Here's what Durant told reporters (via Erik Slater):
"It's hard to fill them shoes and to be a Kobe Bryant. But Kobe is somebody I've been around and still study to this day, and basically, I just try to copy everything he does, same with Michael Jordan.
"Those two guys just set the tone for everything you want to be as basketball players. So, I simply just try to copy them as much as I can."
Hornets HC Steve Clifford said Kevin Durant’s preparation reminds him of Kobe Bryant more than any other player.
KD was asked about Kobe postgame:
“Basically I just try to copy everything he does.” https://t.co/wRoNVmK6ME
Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, and Michael Jordan are arguably three of the greatest scorers to ever play the game. Their ability to get to their spots and put defenses in uncomfortable situations on almost every possession has set them apart as three of the best offensive players.
It's one of the fairest comparisons Durant can draw. The countless hours of work he puts into his craft and his undivided love for the game are similar to how Bryant and Jordan handled their business on the court.
Revisited: Kobe Bryant claims Kevin Durant is the most difficult player to guard
Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant share a tremendous amount of mutual respect. Bryant once even claimed that Durant was the toughest player he had to guard, someone he couldn't figure out how to defend before retiring.
Here's what Bryant said about this in February 2019 during an appearance on "The Corp with A-Rod and Big Cat" podcast:
"Kevin Durant. That was the one I retired without really being able to figure out how I can stop him. When he first came into the league, he was easy to defend because he couldn't go right and shoot. He used to kind of shoot across his face, so that was a weakness that he had. Also, in the post, he couldn't turn left shoulder, everything was right shoulder.
"Then he started developing it, and now he can pull up left, pull up right, he can shoot the long ball, he has runners, left hand, right hand... I couldn't really figure out if this is a rhythm thing. I tried to count the seconds that he takes to make his moves. I couldn't really figure out that rhythm yet."
Bryant once again displayed that he studied the game like no one else. Durant is no different. The Brooklyn Nets superstar, even in year 14, continues to look for ways to improve his game and learn as much as he can through different in-game situations.
Also read: Former NBA champion praises Kevin Durant leading the way for Brooklyn Nets without Kyrie: “Kevin Durant goes back to being the best player in the league conversation”