NBA News Update: Kevin Durant takes a sly dig at Rudy Gobert, The Balkan Boys spend a memorable night in the bubble
A few days back, the league announced the 2020 All-Defensive teams. The first team featured Giannis Antetokounmpo, Anthony Davis, Rudy Gobert, Ben Simmons, and Marcus Smart. While most people agree these guys are elite defenders, Brooklyn Nets' Kevin Durant took a dig at one of these players. In this NBA News Update, we'll cover Kevin Durant's latest comments along with other basketball news.
NBA News Update: Kevin Durant takes a dig at Rudy Gobert for his recent playoff performance
During a podcast with JJ Redick, Kevin Durant commented on how some players are undervalued for their defensive abilities while others are overrated. Durant said:
"There's a huge discrepancy between what players think and what the media thinks. I see a lot of Defensive Player of The Year's who teams have targetted in the playoffs. And had to play them off the court coz they couldn't guard a pick and roll."
Though Kevin didn't mention any names, it was pretty obvious who he was talking about. Utah Jazz's Rudy Gobert won the DPOY award in 2018 and 2019. Though the 7-footer is known for his shot-blocking abilities, he's often criticized for how he defends a pick and roll play.
In the recent playoff series between Denver Nuggets and Utah Jazz, Rudy's inability to switch on pick and rolls allowed Denver to get a lot of easy points. Kevin Durant, being one of the best offensive players in the league, didn't shy away from pointing it out.
NBA News Update: The Balkan Boys' wild night in the bubble
In other NBA News Update, The Athletic reported how a group of European players spent a memorable night in the bubble. Popularly known as 'the Balkan Boys', players from Serbia, Slovenia and Montenegro bonded over dinner during the NBA protests last month.
Among the group were Nikola Jokic, Boban Marjanovic, Luka Doncic, Goran Dragic, and Vlato Cancar. Speaking about the night of August 26, Miami Heat's Goran Dragic said:
"It was a crazy night full of emotions. We didn't know how it was gonna turn the next day."
The European group later had drinks together and spent the night playing Balcan music on their phones until 2 am. It was interesting to see players from different countries meeting and celebrating their similar cultures amidst the NBA boycott.
NBA News Update: Kevin Durant announces Griezmann's new jersey number
The Spanish football league La Liga is all set to begin tomorrow. Brooklyn Nets' Kevin Durant announced today that striker Antoine Griezmann will be wearing the #7 jersey this season.
Up until now, Barcelona's Philippe Coutinho donned the #7 jersey. It is not sure what number Coutinho will be wearing from now on. Griezmann did thank Coutinho for allowing him to wear #7 on Twitter.
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