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“Kobe Bryant shook Kevin Durant out of his shoes!”: When the Lakers’ legend schooled a young KD with his savvy veteran moves

Raahib Singh
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“I was scared sh*tless of Kobe Bryant”: How the Lakers legend instilled fear in Kevin Durant during clutch situations

A throwback to when Lakers’ legend Kobe Bryant matched up against a young Kevin Durant and schooled Durant with his savvy moves

When one thinks of the best scorer in the NBA, the first name that comes to mind is Kevin Durant. The 6’11” forward has a wide arsenal of moves at his dispense. He can shoot from deep, he can finish at the rim, and his mid-range game is automatic.

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However, the case wasn’t always the same. Before Kevin Durant, the best scorer around was Kobe Bryant. The Black Mamba was a vicious opponent to have and had the utmost focus while playing. Before Kobe, it was Michael Jordan who held the title. The one thing in common for all these three players is that they have an aura of absolute dominance around them. The case wasn’t always the same for Durant though. He had to grow in the league before he got the title of being the best scorer. Kobe Bryant was there to deliver Durant with one such crucial lesson.

Kobe Bryant shook a young Kevin Durant right out of his shoes

Early in his career, Kevin Durant and the Thunder faced Kobe Bryant and his Lakers. Durant took the assignment of guarding the Black Mamba. Kobe saw that opportunity and knew he had to capitalize on it. He got rid of Durant with a mean double pump fake and then proceeded to score an easy two.

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Although props to Kevin Durant for being able to almost recover in time and contest the shot. It was a shame that we never got to see Kobe and KD battle it out in a playoff series. If that series would have taken place, it would have been one for the ages.

About the author

Raahib Singh

Raahib Singh

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Raahib Singh is an NBA Journalist and Content Strategist at The SportsRush. A Computer Science Engineer by qualification, Raahib's passion for sports drew him towards TSR. He started playing basketball at 14 and has been following the NBA since 2013. His entry into the basketball world perfectly coincided with Stephen Curry putting the league on notice. Having followed the league for a long time, he decided to use his knowledge to become a sportswriter with The SportsRush in 2020. Raahib loves to put up some shots in his spare time, watch Cricket, Formula 1, and/or read a nice thriller.

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