Kevin Durant Admits Joel Embiid Has Skills Like Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal and Hakeem Olajuwon

Mar 9, 2022 | 12:38 PM EST

Kevin Durant Admits Joel Embiid Has Skills Like Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal and Hakeem Olajuwon

Mar 9, 2022 | 12:38 PM EST

When a former finals MVP and one of the best players in the world praises someone, the player is bound to be special. In this case, it is Joel Embiid. Talking on the Boardroom podcast, Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant talks about what he thinks about the MVP frontrunner.

Watch What’s Trending Now!

He talks about an incident where Embiid draws comparisons of himself with players like Kobe Bryant, Hakeem Olajuwon, Shaquille O’Neal, and Durant seemingly accepting it.

Kevin Durant praises Embiid

Currently, the Philadelphia 76ers are undoubtedly one of the best teams in the league and it is mainly because of the efforts of Joel Embiid. The Cameroon international is well on his way to winning the MVP award this year. Furthermore, the chances of him leading his team to an NBA title are growing with each win.

While the entire world is talking about his performance and gameplay, Kevin Durant also gave his two cents on the player. Talking on The Boardroom podcast, the Brooklyn Nets star talked about Embiid and his perception of the MVP frontrunner. According to the two-time NBA champion, Embiid is simply unstoppable.

Durant said, “It’s a fun dynamic. But it’s a b*tch to play against. He’s really unstoppable. He said something, where he was like I can transform from like Kobe, to Hakeem, to Shaq, to a couple other players and I, was like, ‘Yo, you’re telling the truth.’” When someone as talented as Kevin Durant speaks so highly of a player, the player is bound to be special.

.@KDTrey5 on Joel Embiid:

"He's really unstoppable. He said something where he was like I can transform from like Kobe, to Hakeem, to Shaq, to a couple other players and I was like, 'Yo, you're telling the truth.'" pic.twitter.com/K7IQQaBtAa
— Boardroom (@boardroom) March 9, 2022

Expand Tweet

Embiid returns the favor

Although the two might have had some heated moments on the court, the players have a lot of respect for each other. All the way back in 2019, Joel Embiid called Kevin Durant, “probably the best player in the league.“

The two have come face-to-face with each other 6 times in the league, with all of their encounters coming in regular-season games. At the moment, Durant holds the upper hand with 4 wins over the 76ers and Embiid.

In the games between the two, Durant averages 29.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 5.8 assists. Conversely, Embiid averages 24.0 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 3.5 assists. (Source: landofbasketball.com)

WATCH THIS STORY: 5 times NBA players were caught cheating on LIVE TV

What are the chances of Embiid winning the MVP? We’ll just have to wait and watch this story unfold..

Written by

Abhinava Ghosh

1,823 Articles

Abhinava Ghosh is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports with a wealth of experience covering the league. He has written over 1400 articles for EssentiallySports, showcasing his expertise in analyzing and reporting on NBA trade rumors, injury updates, and the ever-changing dynamics of the league. He had successfully covered the entire Kevin Durant trade saga at Brooklyn, which led to the basketball legend’s move to the Desert. He also kept our readers updated on the Brittney Griner situation throughout her exile in Russia. One of Abhinava's proudest moments came in 2015 when the Golden State Warriors won the NBA title after 40 years. As a lifelong fan of the Dubs, Abhinava was thrilled to see his team reach the pinnacle of the sport, but he remained objective and professional in his reporting.

Know more