Kevin Durant, many argue, is the best pure scorer the NBA has ever seen. He’s a legit 7-footer with effortless range to 30-plus feet and a dazzling skillset that allows him to score at every level and do so efficiently.
There is no good way to match up with Durant, and part of that is because of the work he’s put in to become a dynamic ball-handler and one of the league’s best isolation players. Years ago, Durant added the crossover to his game that has become a staple of his on-ball move set, freezing defenders before using his long stride to explode past them to the other side.
To get to that point, Durant says he had to start studying the masters of the game to pull new ideas for things he can do to expand his game. This isn’t anything new or unique to KD, as great players have long copied the moves of the greatest players that came before them, while putting their own spin and style on it.
Durant spoke recently with The Athletic’s Shams Charania and explained how, among the many he’s looked at, there are three he keeps coming back to on film — two legends, and one current star.
“Kobe (Bryant), MJ (Michael Jordan) and Kyrie,” Durant says. “Just the way they move, I don’t understand why people don’t realize what they’re seeing in these three, especially Jordan and Kobe. Kyrie is younger than me, and that’s one of my best friends, so I watch his stuff. I get to play with Steph every day so I know his game inside and out. But watching Kobe and Mike, I’m like, ‘How do you not realize how good these dudes are?’ How do you not say they’re by far better than anybody who’s played the game? Just by the way they move, how fluid they are.”
It’s not a surprise that Kobe and Jordan have become go-to’s for Durant, given that he’s now working more on diversifying his post and midrange game, as evidenced by his play this season. As for Kyrie, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better ball-handler in league history, and so it’s little surprise Durant would look for things he can pull from Irving’s arsenal of moves to add to his game — understanding he’s got to put his own spin on it being a much bigger person.
The quote about how Kobe and Jordan are “by far better than anybody who’s played the game,” is certainly going to draw attention and make it seem like maybe a subtle jab at LeBron, but in the context of the quote it seems as though he’s talking specifically about their offensive skill sets and movement. In that regard, he’s not wrong.
LeBron is as dominant a player as the league has ever seen and there’s no doubt he’s added more and more to his offensive skill set over the years, but much of James’ game is still predicated on his physicality and the fact that he can use power to get to his spots. For a player like Durant, that’s not exactly an option for him, so there isn’t as much to glean from James tape in that specific regard as there is from Kobe and Jordan, whose footwork and movement is how they created separation and space for shots and drives.
Durant went as far to say that he forces people that come over to his house to watch Jordan highlights, to make sure they appreciate his skills and game. Other players Durant noted as people he loves watching are Sidney Moncrief, Bernard King, and Stephon Marbury, proving that he has truly become a student of the game.
