Late Lakers legend Kobe Bryant once appeared on The Corp With A-Rod and Big Cat, a podcast hosted by 14-time MLB All-Star, Alex Rodriguez. During the episode, Bryant was asked, “Who was the toughest guy to defend”? Without any hesitation, the five-time NBA champion replied, “Kevin Durant”. As per Bryant, initially, it was easy to stop and defend Durant. His weak spots were transparent and it was fun to toy with him. However, this didn’t last for long. Durant worked on his game, he strengthened his skills. Soon, even the brilliance of Bryant couldn’t figure the two-time champion out. With that said, the Mamba wasn’t the only one who was enamored by Durant.

In an interview with Ahmad Rashad, Michael Jordan spoke highly about the Brooklyn Nets’ star. The topic of Kevin Durant came up when Jordan was asked to choose between Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. Before making his choice, Jordan yelled Durant out. However, later he said, “You talk about these two (Bryant and James) and you battling, who is the best, Kevin Durant is going to sneak in the back door”.  Such words of praise coming from his childhood heroes is a dream come true for the 2014 MVP.

Kevin Durant felt like a champion after listening to Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan

In an interview with Jamal Crawford, the former Golden State Warriors star, Kevin Durant, opened up about what these words of praise meant to him. He said, “It still gives me chills to this day you know”. With this in mind, Durant spoke about one of the reasons he plays the game. He claimed that he plays for validation from his peers and to take the game to the next level.

Additionally, Durant highlighted that he respected the craft and the impact those before him had on the game. He claimed that he must live up to those standards and uplift the game. Following this, Durant stated that he looks forward to his heroes telling him that he is playing the game in the right way.

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For Durant, earning the respect of NBA legends like Bryant, and Jordan and those who have watched him grow is everything. He said, “That (the respect) is like a Championship to me, you know”. The two-time finals MVP believed that the likes of Bryant, Jordan, LeBron James, and co. were his brothers because of the connection they shared.

Despite coming from different backgrounds and families, Durant stated that these players connected like brothers. For him, this happened because of the work they all put in to get to the highest level. He said, “I feel like I’m representing all of you all every time I step out on the floor. So I like when I hear that (praise) from my peers.” 

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