Kevin Durant inspired several players plying their trade in the NBA today. But, before this, he had his own inspirations. Back in 2018, he revealed his muse to be Michael Jordan. He even admitted that he forced all guests to watch clips of the Chicago Bulls legend when they visited his house. And while this may seem extreme, his reasoning was as genuine as they come.
Durant spoke to the Complex about his off-beat habits relating to Jordan’s highlights. He admitted that he saw His Airness’ genius as on par with Albert Einstien and Ludwig Van Beethoven. Emphasizing this, he said,
“This is the greatest talent and athletes and minds of the world. Just because they play sports, people think one way. But they’re masters, they’re geniuses. I just started realizing that a few years ago: Watching those guys can really spark my creativity.”
He then touched on the athletes of his time. Referring to his colleagues and himself as “artists”, he said,
“As players, we’re artists. How we express ourselves is on the basketball court,” Durant said. “Every ballplayer speaks and tells you what they’ve been through through how they play on the basketball court. That’s the beauty of the game, what I’m in love with. I like basketball 100 percent. The other shit is aight.”
Kevin Durant has always been open about his obsession with basketball. So, it should come as no surprise that he holds all athletes in such a high light. Calling a professional ‘an artist’ is a compliment of the highest order.
Still, the largest extents of his admiration are reserved for the greats of this game. And in late 2022, he delved into what the greatest players of all time mean to him.
Durant delivered unmatched praise to the scorers that came before him
In 2022, Durant sat down with Jamal Crawford to talk about the great scorers that came before him. Per Sports Illustrated, he said,
“Especially guys like Kob [Kobe Bryant], MJ [Michael Jordan], you [Crawford], Bron [LeBron James], Melo [Carmelo Anthony], all the guys I watched, T-Mac. The people that watch my game and have been watching me since I came into the league. For them to give me that respect, that’s like a championship to me. We’re a brotherhood. We’re all connected somehow just because we put in that work and made it to this level. I feel like I’m representing all of y’all every time I step on the floor. I like when I hear that from my peers.”
The extent of Durant’s praise for his predecessors doesn’t end here. In 2020, fans were discussing whether or not the former Warriors man was a better scorer than Jordan. KD promptly put a stop to this.
“MJ is one of one, god level, unmatched, unparalleled, a pure master at this sh*t. I’m still watching his games to learn. Leave me out of it, please.”
Durant’s honesty will come to the gratitude of many in the NBA community. And his continued respect for those who came before him will have likely made his idols blush as well. Even if their name is Michael Jordan.