Kevin Durant reveals his all-time pickup game list with Jamal Crawford: "I wanna see a AI – Steph matchup”
Brooklyn Nets superstar Kevin Durant is a student of the game.That includes respecting the talent of some of the legendary players who have come through the NBA.
Throughout his 14-year career, Durant has been one of the top superstars in the game as he's gone toe-to-toe with some of the world's most talented players.
Durant has continued to be a force for the Brooklyn Nets this season, averaging 30.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.6 blocks per game. He's shooting a career-high 56.4%, including 36.1% from 3-point range.
During a recent interview with Jamal Crawford, Kevin Durant was asked who he would pick for an all-time NBA pickup game. Durant named Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, himself, LeBron James and others as pickup participants. That was before he mentioned an intriguing matchup between two superstar NBA guards.
"Gotta throw AI in the pickup game," Durant said. "I wanna see an AI-Steph (Curry) matchup."
Kevin Durant's All-Time pickup game:
Kobe Bryant
Jamal Crawford
Steph Curry
Kevin Durant
Kevin Garnett
Allen Iverson
LeBron James
Michael Jordan
Tracy McGrady
Hakeem Olajuwon
(Via @NBATV)
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Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets starting to find their groove
Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets had a rough start to this season, winning just one of their first six games and parting ways with coach Steve Nash on Nov. 1.
After a shaky opening month, the Nets have started to make some noise. Brooklyn (20-12) has won seven straight games, putting them in fourth place in the Eastern Conference. The Nets have won nine of their last 10 games and are 14-3 in the last 17 and 18-6 in their last 24.
During that 10-game stretch, Kevin Durant was a dominant force. He averaged 31.9 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 5.0 assists. What's even more impressive was his efficiency during that span: shooting 62.7%, including 42.2% from 3-point range.
"It still gives me chills to this day. I play for that validation from my peers... For them to give me that respect—that's like a championship to me."
Kevin Durant contemplates on what Michael Jordan's, Kobe's & other NBA greats' praise meant to him.
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It wasn't the start that Brooklyn wanted, from the losses to replacing Steve Nash with Jacque Vaugh after initially chasing Ime Udoka to the Kyrie Irving controversy. But the Nets have started to put things together. If Durant can continue to play at this type of level, Brooklyn is going to be a dangerous team in the Eastern Conference.
The Nets will have a challenging upcoming schedule. They are set to take on the East-leading Milwaukee Bucks (22-9) on Friday night. After that, Brooklyn will hit the road to take on the Cleveland Cavaliers (22-11), who are third in the East, on Monday. That trip will begin a stretch of six road games out of seven overall.