“It don’t mean sh**!” Kevin Durant SHUTS DOWN praise for beating Kobe Bryant in playoffs 

Kevin Durant emphasized that NBA players only care about winning the last game of the NBA Finals.

“It don’t mean sh**!” Kevin Durant SHUTS DOWN praise for beating Kobe Bryant in playoffs 

Kevin Durant and Kobe Bryant

Kevin Durant doesn’t see his 2012 playoff win against Kobe Bryant’s Lakers as a significant achievement, as his team didn’t win the championship that year. In a recent interview with Yahoo Sports, KD dismissed the idea that he “took the torch” from Bryant, where he asserted that individual wins don’t matter and only the last game of the NBA Finals counts.

Durant’s Thunder team won the series 4-1, with him averaging 26.8 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 39.1% 3-point shooting against the Lakers. Although The Black Mamba had a higher points per game average, the Thunder’s win was seen by some as a passing of the torch from Bryant to Durant.

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That don’t mean sh*t. Cause he got five, champ. It didn’t mean nothing… We lost that year. We ain’t win the championship that year.
Kevin Durant said in an interview with Yahoo Sports

However, Kevin Durant doesn’t see it that way, stating that he doesn’t have Bryant on a pedestal and that the win was just another step in the playoffs. He also emphasized that NBA players only care about winning the last game of the NBA Finals, and that’s what drives them.

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He also pointed out that other players, like Anthony Edwards, likely have the same mindset when facing tough opponents. Edwards and the Timberwolves swept Durant and the Suns in the first round of the 2024 playoffs, before being eliminated by the Mavericks in the conference finals.

Durant’s comments show that he is focused on winning championships, and that individual wins don’t matter as much to him. He also has a deep respect for Bryant’s legacy, and doesn’t want to be seen as trying to take anything away from him.

Kevin Durant eyes long-term NBA future 

Kevin Durant, the 2014 MVP, is showing no signs of slowing down as he approaches his 36th birthday. In a recent interview with Yahoo Sports, Durant expressed his desire to play in the NBA for as long as possible.

My goal is to play this s**t till the wheels fall off. Whatever role that is.
Kevin Durant said to Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports

This mindset is impressive considering his impressive performance last season, averaging 27.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game. However, he has had to silence rumors from time to time about his future with his current franchise, the Suns. 

The Suns, led by Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal, have a talented roster and finished last season as the sixth seed in the Western Conference. With Durant’s dedication to playing at a high level, the Suns are poised for another successful season.

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