When discussing one of the most clutch players of all time, names like Reggie Miller, Jerry West, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and now LeBron James ring in our ears. This is a debatable topic and each one can have their own list of Top 10.
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Clutch performance is very important, given that most NBA games are very closely fought. The last five minutes of fourth quarter or OT are crucial. In fact, that moment in the game when scores are almost tied, and a player has the possession of the ball with 24 seconds remaining, that’s the decisive clutch moment.
Put this question around the best clutch player on the table of two-time NBA Champion Kevin Durant, and he has a clear as crystal answer to it.
Kevin Durant picks his best clutch player
KD recently gave an interview for a podcast. He talked about his future, his business, LeBron James, and other issues important to him. He also took part in a small rapid-fire where he was asked about his favorite clutch money player. The Slim Reaper took only two seconds to say, “Kobe, I was scared sh*tless of Kobe Bryant late in games.”
Now the 6’10” star is a legend in his own league, and he took The Black Mamba’s name out of so many players he could’ve considered.
The two men played against each other 36 times. Kobe Bryant leads the victories 14-11 in the regular games while KD leads 6-5 in the playoffs. Also, Kevin Durant beats Kobe when we compare the rebounding because that is Kevin’s strength. In their careers, Kobe dominated in the beginning while Durant dominated in their final meetings.
Kobe Bryant and his clutch time magic!
The Black Mamba’s clutch shot percentage remained 33.8% (97/287). It is a class in itself, given the enormity in those situations. When comparing the likes of Kobe Bryant’s clutch performance with LeBron James’, statistically, Bron beats Kobe. The Mamba averaged 3.5 points on 39.3% shooting and 29.2% from the downtown against The Akron Hammer’s 3.7 points on 46.8% shooting and 32.5% from behind the arc (until last year).
But many other factors also come into play when a better clutch player is selected. It is not always about the shooting, but also about playmaking and other intangible technicalities. So KD’s choice of Kobe must correctly make perfect sense to him and many others too.
We have seen many such moments when his side (Lakers) trusted in Kobe to take that last shot. That last dance.
Read: “The Next Jordan”: Kevin Durant Remembers the First Time When He Heard about LeBron James
