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Kevin Durant and JJ Redick on How Kobe Bryant Was Unstoppable on Offense
When two offensive masterminds clash, the battle is one to watch. When it came in the 2010’s, Kevin Durant and Kobe Bryant were the leading offensive players in the league. Both had weapons unlike no other and knew how to rack up their points. However, with the skill also came mutual respect. Recently, Kevin Durant opened up about the Mamba and explained how he was pretty much unstoppable.
Before his ACL injury, Kobe was one of the best players in the league. The Mamba had his competitive spirit lit up and was standing out in the offensive charts. As a man who was willing to take shots, Kobe always had a score-first mentality. Combined with his will to win, Bryant was a force that was almost impossible to curb.
While speaking to Reddick on his podcast, Durant spoke about how there was no defense that could stop the Mamba from scoring.
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Kevin Durant shares respect for Kobe Bryant
While Durant spoke about his matchups against the Milwaukee Bucks, Reddick said it reminded him a lot about Kobe Bryant. He said there was only two outcomes, either Kobe makes the shot or he misses. To this, Durant added and said in the span of 2008-2013, there was no defense that was fit enough to stop Kobe Bryant.
Durant said: “Yeah Kobe had a, I want to say 2008 to like 2013, it was no defense for him. It’s like extra help or just full-out double”
Lakers guard Kobe Bryant yells out in frustration after just missing a circus shot against the Nuggets defense late in the first half in game 6 of the NBA Western Conference Finals at the Pepsi Center. (Photo by Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
It isn’t surprising to see Durant speak this way about Kobe. Bryant was the best offensive player for a number of years. In the span Durant mentioned, Kobe won his only MVP award in the 2008 season. In addition, the Mamba went on to have several MVP caliber seasons to follow once even leading the scoring with 35 points per game. He also scored over 33000 points in his 20-year career. While KD acknowledged the supremacy of Kobe, the Mamba felt the same way about the Slim Reaper.
During an interview, Bryant revealed the only player he couldn’t figure out defensively was Kevin Durant. As a master defender, the praise by Kobe Bryant truly showcases the offensive talent that Durant holds. Even today, after an ACL injury he is one of the leading scorers in the league and there are no signs of him slowing down. Do you think Durant is a better scorer than Kobe Bryant? Let us know your views in the comment below.
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