Kevin Durant once told the media, “You guys really don’t know s---.”
The Thunder star expressed regret, but if he knew how we were going to treat Kobe Bryant, he might have stuck to his guns.
Durant, via Anthony Slater of The Oklahoman:
Video of that KD quote on Kobe for those asking (part 1) pic.twitter.com/u3VYMv31Db
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) November 30, 2015
Video of that KD quote on Kobe for those asking (part 2) pic.twitter.com/lAXdbhGqrD
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) November 30, 2015
I did idolize Kobe Bryant. I studied him, wanted to be like him. He was our Michael Jordan. I watched Michael towards the end of his career when he was with the Wizards, and I seen that’s what Kobe emerged as the guy for us.
I’ve been disappointed this year because you guys treated him like s---. He’s a legend, and all I hear is about how bad he’s playing, how bad he’s shooting. It’s time for him to hang it up. You guys treated one of our legends like s---, and I didn’t really like it. So hopefully, now you can start being nice to him now that he decided to retire after this year. It was sad the way he was getting treated, in my opinion.
But he had just an amazing career, a guy who changed the game for me as a player mentally and physically. Means so much to the game of basketball. Somebody I’m always going to look to for advice, for help, for anything. Just a brilliant, brilliant, intelligent man. And it’s sad to see him go.
Kobe is shooting 20% from the floor and 30% on 3-pointers for a 2-14 team. How else should we describe his season?
Why not bash the person most publicly critical of Kobe? Or the many people around the NBA who recognize how far Kobe has fallen? Or Byron Scott, who has repeatedly intensified discussion of Kobe’s demise?
Why is the media, which is not some monolithic entity anyway, the primary target?
There are writers who fawn over Kobe, writers who criticize him and many more who do both. We don’t all think alike.
If we did, Durant would be bound to treat Kobe like s---, too.
I'm happy to announce I'm partnering with the @PlayersTribune as Deputy Publisher. Stay tuned… pic.twitter.com/0TzZx1W7aL
— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) September 24, 2015