Kevin Durant says the media has 'treated Kobe Bryant like sh*t' By Yaron Weitzman

Now that we know this will be Kobe Bryant's last season in the NBA, players throughout the league have been asked to share their thoughts on his career. Most have talked about how much they respect Bryant and have learned from him.

Thunder forward Kevin Durant said he grew up idolizing Bryant and is angry at how his twilight is being covered.

"I've been disappointed this year because you guys treated him like shit," Durant said to reporters following a team practice on Monday, via Anthony Slater of the Oklahoman. "He's a legend and all I hear about is how bad he's playing, how bad he's shooting, time for him to hang it up. You guys treated one of our legends like shit and I really didn't like it. Hopefully now you can start being nice to him now that he decided to retire after this year."

This isn't the first time Durant has publicly called out the the people who cover the sport. During All-Star Weekend last year, he told reporters he was only speaking to them because he was required to, before adding, "You guys really don't know shit."

Durant prefaced his media comments by saying that he grew up watching Bryant and that he considered Bryant his generation's Michael Jordan.

"I studied him, wanted to be like him," Durant said.

He's also just one of dozens of players who have publicly praised Bryant in the hours since he announced that he'd be retiring after this season.

"A legend," Rockets guard James Harden said Sunday night, via the Washington Post. "I grew up watching him. He was my ‘MJ.' Just for him to be done, for his last go-round, it's sad. That's the end of a dynasty. He had a really good run, but it comes to an end. He's a monster. He's a beast. He's a warrior, man. He's a competitor. I don't think there will ever be another guy like him. The way he did it, he willed his teammates to victories, championships, things like that. It was a great story."

Other players with messages for and about Bryant included J.R. Smith, Paul George and former teammate Pau Gasol.


Even Dwight Howard, who famously didn't get along with Bryant during his one season with the Lakers, had nice words to share.

"Kobe is one of the greatest to ever play the game," Howard said, via the Post. "He had an amazing career ... it all comes to an end for all of us. He was somebody we all grew up watching. He paved the way for so many players coming out of high school, and his work ethic, everything that he stands for on the court has been great. For, what, 20 years? That's amazing, to play this game for a long time."

But Howard's comments weren't all praise. He did balk when asked what he learned from Bryant during that year in LA.

"Did I learn something from him?" Howard said, reportedly followed by a laugh and a pause. "Oh, man ... we're going to go to the next question now."

In the Moment By Kevin Durant

KEVIN DURANT
DEPUTY PUBLISHER

I was the last one out of the tunnel. Before our first regular season game, I wanted to wait a couple seconds and just listen to the crowd. It had been a while since I heard Oklahoma City.

I like the challenge of trying to be in the moment. It’s not easy. We’re all built to want to look back or speed life up. But I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about the future. It takes you away from the moment you’re in. This past year, I learned that lesson more than ever. I love to play basketball, so when I had to wear a boot for 14 weeks and couldn’t put up a shot for three months, it brought me to the present real quick. You just have to go through it. Your basketball life is fragile, but that’s also why it’s so meaningful.

I don’t concern myself too much with the past, either. It’s good to learn from it, but if you dwell, you could rob yourself of the focus you need to do the work that’s right in front of you.


Before this season started, I thought back to our team that lost in the Finals four years ago. We were a really good team, but we were too young to know what we had. We were 23, 24 years old, most of us, and now I can see what our problem was: We were all on our own islands. For me, I didn’t know when to be selfless and when to be selfish. The Heat had been there before and they were more experienced. I still think we could’ve won, but it was a lesson for us. We needed to go through that.

For the last two months I’ve been asked how my body is holding up. I get asked about minutes. I get asked if I am “back.”

I’m asked about my foot.

My foot’s good.

I’m asked about my conditioning.

My conditioning will be there, but that takes a little time. There’s a difference between practice speed and game speed.

I get asked to predict the future, too. But trying to say how our team’s going to do — that’s other people’s jobs. In an 82-game season, getting ahead of yourself is dangerous. That kind of mindset will punish you. The season is a marathon, man. My job is to play ball. My job is to support my teammates and make them better. My job is to help my team win, not tell the future.


Last month I turned 27, and my friend got me a camera for my birthday — one of those big digital cameras with a nice lens. Growing up, I got cameras as gifts and I always did the same thing: take it out of the box, try it out for a couple days and then never really use it again. But this time — and I don’t know why — I started taking it almost everywhere I went.

Being behind the camera was new for me because I’m usually in front of it. I’ve already gained a lot of respect for photographers because you have to be ready all the time. You never want to miss a shot. I think that’s what I like about it.

Here are some photos I took on a preseason trip to Memphis a couple weeks ago. My favorite is the picture of the guys sitting at the lunch counter at the National Civil Rights Museum. That was a special moment. I like the one of Russ on the plane, too, because you rarely see that guy not moving around.

This is my squad. These are the guys I’m grinding with. Some of them are new to the team this year, and guys like Serge, Russ and Nick have been with me through it all. I’d do anything for these guys. I’m not going to make any predictions about the season, but from what I see already, I like our chances.

Watch KD talk about building the brand in the launch video below and buy items from the full collection