When Kobe Bryant says he finds it difficult to defend an NBA player, you know the said player would be one of the very best. As Kobe once revealed, it’s Kevin Durant, and he couldn’t unlock the trick to ‘stop him’. Bryant is a player who reads his opponents well. So what is so demanding about Kevin’s moves that the Lakers star couldn’t find a way to keep him at bay?
Acquired recently by Brooklyn Nets, Durant has won four scoring titles in his career to date. Moreover, he has a bizarre career field goals percentage of 49.3%. It’s interesting considering he has had to come up against players with commendable abilities.
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When asked about the toughest NBA player to defend, Kobe took Durant’s name on ‘The Corp With Big Cat and Alex Rodriguez’ podcast. Well, he had his reasons as well – “I retired without really being able to figure out how I can stop him.”
Everybody is aware of Durant’s shooting abilities. Kobe, however, emphasized most on the transition in his shooting style. Durant was not the same as a rookie. He couldn’t shoot from everywhere on the court with the simplicity he now has. It was a gradual improvement in his game that led to his development into a scoring juggernaut.
Even Kobe Bryant faced challenges
“When he first came in the league he was easy to defend because he couldn’t go right and shoot,” the LA Lakers legend mentioned. “He used to shoot kind of across his face. That was a weakness that he had.”
Kobe was trying to put pieces together to find out what Durant does and how he could defend him. He added that he was aware of the areas he needed to shut off against Durant. But with time, the former Golden State Warriors star’s game developed. Besides making his left and right sides strong, he could go for a long ball as well.
Kobe said he still had a way out. “Before he had a left-hand finish at the run, I could force him all the way to the basket. Even with the advantage of his size, he was still uncomfortable finishing with his left,” he said.
“I could clay up his right hand and now force him into tough situations,” he added. But the NBA legend finally couldn’t figure out a way to put a full stop on Durant’s fury on the court.
The shooting wizard is a two time NBA champion, 10-time NBA All-Star, and a Finals MVP twice. His statistics are worth taking a look at. Moreover, for Kobe to find him as challenging, is cherry on the cake!
