"Really just don't be a crybaby” — Kevin Durant shares the most important lesson he learned from Kobe Bryant
Kevin Durant and Kobe Bryant
© Mark D. Smith - USA TODAY Sports
Kevin Durant has always been vocal about how the late Kobe Bryant helped shape him into the player he has become. On Wednesday, the Brooklyn Nets star was asked what he learned most from spending time with Kobe, providing a surprising answer.
"Really just don't be a crybaby," Durant said. "I was at that age at 23 where I thought the world revolved around me. And I know we've talked a lot about Kobe. He was real humble in how he approached the game, how he approached his teammates, just life in general."
Channeling the Black Mamba
Bryant was known for many things, and his love for the game is one of them. Stories of his dedication to basketball include early morning practices and playing through injuries, to name a few. His unparalleled work ethic has become an inspiration for several of today's players, including Durant, of course.
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Like the Los Angeles Lakers legend, KD has been an icon of work ethic across the league. A renowned shooting coach raved about how the 12-time All-Star would go out hard, even to the point of exhaustion.
And the results speak for themselves. Durant has turned out to be one of the greatest players of all time and has two championship rings to show for his zeal for the sport. Even a devastating injury a few years ago could not put a damper on his production on the court. For the past three seasons, KD has averaged 29.0 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per contest on an efficient 53.2% shooting clip.
But isn't he a crybaby?
Despite his accomplishments on the court, Durant isn't as universally beloved as Kobe was. In fact, there was a point last season when he ranked second behind LeBron James on the list of players that receive the most negative tweets.
The reason behind the hate is his penchant for ditching his teams when the going gets tough, as he did in 2016 when he signed with the Golden State Warriors and in 2019 when he went to Brooklyn.
Another factor is that he is one of the most colorful personalities on Twitter. Durant has exhibited a tendency to be petty when engaging with other social media users. Maybe he should've been asked with a follow-up question on Wednesday if he has never been a "crybaby" on Twitter. That could've elicited an interesting response from the 34-year-old.
