Team USA star Kevin Durant will be turning 36 years old in September. It is fair to say that he is already in the latter stages of the back nine of his stellar basketball career. But even if he decides to retire today from the sport, he feels that he’s made a big impact on the younger generation of players.
The Phoenix Suns forward opened up about it recently when speaking to reporters in Paris ahead of Team USA’s quarterfinal matchup against Brazil.
Via Blake Niemann of Cronkite News: Phoenix Sports:
“It’s pretty cool when you hear it from the real players, the guys actually putting in the work, that are trying to make it to the NBA. You hear what I’ve meant to them and their careers. Then you hear what other people say about me sometimes, and they don’t understand my impact. But when you talk to the players, they give you a whole different story, which is pretty cool. It always comes down to what the guys on the floor are saying about you. Those are the opinions I really respect.”
Kevin Durant on his impact on basketball being recognized by the next generation of NBA players:
"It's pretty cool when you hear it from the real players, the guys actually putting in the work, that are trying to make it to the NBA. You hear what I've meant to them and their… pic.twitter.com/ygEpCpCC8L
— Blake Niemann (@Blakes_Take2) August 2, 2024
One of Durant’s teammates with Team USA is Minnesota Timberwolves shooting guard Anthony Edwards, who has long admitted that the former NBA Most Valuable Player was his idol growing up.
Durant isn’t an easy player to copy on the court, as he has the rare combination of size, length, mobility, and most of all, incredible scoring abilities. Still, he has garnered the respect of his peers, which is enough for Durant to ignore the negatives he’s hearing from his critics in the media.
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