Kevin Durant Opens Up About Kobe Bryant Comparision
When you talk to teammates, and players around the league, about Kevin Durant, it’s common that most his discuss aura of greatness on the hardwood. For one coach that had the chance to work with the Nets superstar, he reminds him of an all-time great the 12-time NBA All-Star tries to emulate every day.
"He's a lot like Kobe [Bryant] to me," Charlotte Hornets head coach Steve Clifford said about Durant during Wednesday’s pregame vs. Nets in Brooklyn. "Their makeup is different in many ways, but on the court, they're very similar in terms of the way they work, and they're both students of the game. When I think of Kobe I think of passion, when I think of Kevin, I think of passion. So two elite players who care deeply about the results more than they do like individual numbers."
Before taking the Charlotte Hornets head coaching job this past offseason, Clifford took a backseat from coaching and worked as a player consultant for the Nets. Although he spent only one season with the Nets organization, he grew a relationship with Durant. The 61-year-old got a daily look to see how the star forward approaches the game, how he handles himself both on and off the court, and his basketball IQ.
To Durant, the late Los Angeles Lakers legend was a close mentor and remains one of his idols. He is among a number of superstars around the league that held a close relationship with Bryant, who passed away tragically in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26, 2020.
The high praise from Clifford, who worked as an assistant with the Lakers during the 2012-13 season, provided Durant the floor to speak on the influence Bryant has on him every day.
"It's hard to fill them shoes and to be a Kobe Bryant. Kob is someone I've been around and still study to this day. Basically, I try to copy everything he does,” said Durant postgame. “The same with Michael Jordan. Those two guys set the tone for everything we want to be as a basketball player. I simply try to copy them as much as I can.
"I guess that showed to Ciff [Steve Clifford], and I enjoy being around him a lot. We talked a lot about the game of basketball I'm sure he can hear that in my voice how much I enjoy that dialogue about the game. It's pretty cool to hear man. I love Cliff."
Apr 11, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) drives to the basket over Los Angeles Lakers forward Kobe Bryant (24) during the third quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
© Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
What was the one key piece of advice that resonated the most with the Nets superstar during his time around the late Lakers legend?
"Really just don't be a crybaby," Durant said. "I was at that age, at 23, where I thought the world revolved around me. He was real humble how he approached the game, how he approached his teammates, and just life in general. I just learned just from watching his movements, he was an example. He didn't say much but he was an example by movement. Him and Mike [Michael Jordan] are two dudes I emulate on and off the court what they do. It'll only make me better."
Durant isn’t the only Net that held a close relationship with the Laker legend. His superstar teammate, Kyrie Irving held a very tight relationship with Bryant. The seven-time All-Star illustrated how he sees the Kobe-KD comparison.
"I think if you look at people that want greatness, [people] will sacrifice time with their families, their friends, and do everything possible in order to give everything they have to what they love to do, to their craft," Irving said. "They have similarities. I don't think it's just Kob and KD, I just think when you see greatness and you wonder how people continue to do it year after year, you have to look at the hours that are put in, the way that they prepare, and how serious they take what they do.
"They're very competitive, Kobe and KD. Obviously, with Kob transitioning in the last few years, he would definitely be giving us some gems to continue on, and you can tell that K got a lot of advice from him, and watched him a lot."
