Many of today’s NBA players credit Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant as pioneers of modern-day basketball. Kobe and Mike were unlike their predecessors or successors in terms of fallaways, grace, footwork, and everything in between. Maybe the biggest advocate of their greatness has been Kevin Durant.
In 2018, KD wanted answers: Why is there even a debate between Bryant, Jordan, and everyone else? At the time, the 30-year-old was the league’s back-to-back Finals MVP—he was at the top of his game and felt like the best player in the world. But watching highlights of these legends perhaps convinced KD that he’s still a few tiers below the best.
“Kobe, MJ [Michael Jordan], and Kyrie [Irving],” Durant told The Athletic’s Shams Charania when asked which guys left the biggest impression on him. “Just the way they move, I don’t understand why people don’t realize what they’re seeing in these three, especially Jordan and Kobe. Kyrie is younger than me, and that’s one of my best friends, so I watch his stuff. I get to play with Steph every day, so I know his game inside and out. But watching Kobe and Mike, I’m like, ‘How do you not realize how good these dudes are?’ How do you not say they’re by far better than anybody who’s played the game? Just by the way they move, how fluid they are.”
“Everybody that comes to my house, whether it’s friends or family, I make them watch Jordan highlights. This is equivalent to (Albert) Einstein … fuc*ing (Ludwig van) Beethoven … or (Barack) Obama. 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,” Durant added.
In awe of three of the game’s most-skilled ever
You’ve probably heard the phrase before: Many have tried, and many have failed. Living up to arguably the game’s greatest player ever is something just a shade below impossible. Even for a player like Durant—seen as the NBA’s most revolutionary seven-footer—there are some things that are off the table.
“I can’t do what MJ does. I can’t palm the ball. I wish. I can’t shoot the turnaround, pump-fake spin, half-spin fadeaway like Kobe. Or crossover like Kyrie. I can’t do it. But I can try it. I can do it in my version, do it in my way. It keeps me creative and my excitement level for the game, Durant said.
Putting a player like Irving in the same sentence with two of the most decorated figures in NBA history may seem like a stretch. But for the Phoenix Suns star, his former teammate is someone he’s always been in awe of. Sure, these quotes came months before he and Irving would link up just outside of the Big Apple. But Durant’s love for the Dallas Mavericks guard stretches back to the 2017 NBA Finals when he said, “Kyrie is better than A.I. [Allen Iverson] to me.”
Add LeBron to the list?
When No. 35 made these comments about Irving, Bryant, and Jordan, many fans quickly pointed out his omission of LeBron James, who was widely viewed as the best player in the NBA at the time. While most can agree that James’ game is different from those three’s, fans also believed Durant should’ve pegged “The Chosen One” in there somewhere.
However, recent times may signal a change in opinion. It’s 2024; both superstars are in the latter stages of their careers and can reflect on the great competition they had over the years. Six years ago, many pinned the two against each other as the sport’s top two players. But now that their status isn’t quite as high, Durant hasn’t hesitated to praise the NBA’s all-time leading scorer recently.