Kobe Bryant is known as one of the greatest Los Angeles Lakers players ever. To some, he is the epitome of what a Laker should be. Whether it was against his teammates, peers, or the entire world, Kobe worked hard to be the best. He won five titles, multiple All-Star and All-NBA selections, and the Olympic gold. As good as he was, he still had someone he had trouble playing against.
In his book “Mamba Mentality,” Kobe Bryant highlighted a few instances that happened during his career. One of it being Kevin Durant and how hard it was to play against him. Bryant claimed that the newbie struggled to pull up on his right side and work inside the paint during the start of Durant’s career.
Kobe admitted that these flaws made it easier for him to guard KD. As he described in his book, these were major “holes” in his game that needed to be fixed.
Bryant continued, “Within a year or two- he became proficient at pulling up on his right side. A few years after that, he added a few left-shoulder post moves.” The former league MVP further complimented Durant’s game calling him “a handful” on the court. Kobe explained how KD would always analyze his weaknesses and work on them consistently. At one point, there was nothing that Bryant could use against Durant.
#NBATogetherLive Classic Game des Tages: @okcthunder vs @Lakers, Spiel 4 ihrer Serie in den #NBAPlayoffs 2012.
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Kevin Durant (31 PTS, 13 REB)
Russell Westbrook (37 PTS, 5 AST)
Kobe Bryant (38 PTS, 8 REB)
James Harden (12 PTS, 6 REB)
Andrew Bynum (18 PTS, 3 BLK) pic.twitter.com/8rYuK0MRJz— NBA Germany (@NBA_de) May 20, 2020
“His skill set is completely fleshed out,” said the ex-Laker. “His offensive game has no weaknesses. He’s a nightmare to go up against, and he’s worked to achieve that status,” he concluded. Even today, Kevin Durant is arguably the best scorer of the ball and dominates the offense consistently. His shot is flawless and his agility is through the roof.
How good was Kevin Durant against Kobe Bryant?
As many people would describe him, Kevin Durant is a forward who is as tall as center that possesses the skill of a guard. Durant’s best game against Kobe Bryant was in 2013 during a game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Los Angeles Lakers. KD scored 42 points against Kobe and had 8 rebounds and 5 assists with one block shooting 16-25 from the field.
Bryant was an exceptional defender of the ball but this was one of those instances that proves how much of a menace Durant was on the court. The 2x NBA Champion played 25 games against the Lakers.
KD averaged 27.3 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game against the late great Black Mamba. The latter averaged 25.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game against Durant. It is safe to say that Kevin deserves a play among the greatest players of all time. Kobe seemed to have accepted it a long time ago.