Kobe Bryant's advice to Kevin Durant: 'Really just don't be a crybaby'

NEW YORK -- As Kevin Durant looks backmost connected his clip astir Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant, the 34-year-old comes backmost to 1 memorable portion of proposal that helium learned from the all-time great.

"Really conscionable don't beryllium a crybaby," Durant said Wednesday aft the Brooklyn Nets' 122-116 triumph against the Charlotte Hornets. "I was astatine that property astatine 23 wherever I thought the satellite revolved astir me. And I cognize we've talked a batch astir Kobe, helium was existent humble successful however helium approached the game, however helium approached his teammates, conscionable beingness successful general. So I learned conscionable from watching his movements.

"He was an example, helium didn't accidental much, but helium was an illustration conscionable by however helium moved and I effort to emulate, similar I said, him and Mike are 2 dudes I emulate connected and disconnected the tribunal what they bash and I cognize it volition marque maine better."

Durant's memories of Bryant, who died successful a January 2020 chopper crash, came due to the fact that of a examination made betwixt the 2 hoops legends by Hornets manager Steve Clifford. The seasoned NBA manager served arsenic an adjunct with the Los Angeles Lakers during the 2012-13 play and got to cognize Durant portion serving arsenic a coaching advisor for the Nets past season.

"He's a batch similar Kobe to me," Clifford said astir Durant earlier Wednesday's game. "Their constitution is antithetic successful galore ways, but connected the court, they're precise akin successful presumption of the mode they work, and they're some students of the game. When I deliberation of Kobe, I deliberation of passion, erstwhile I deliberation of Kevin, I deliberation of passion. So 2 elite players who attraction profoundly astir the results much than they bash similar idiosyncratic numbers."

Durant appreciated Clifford's words erstwhile told astir them postgame.

"It's hard to capable them shoes and beryllium a Kobe Bryant," Durant said. "But Kob is idiosyncratic I've been astir and inactive survey to this day. And fundamentally I conscionable effort to transcript everything helium does, aforesaid with Michael Jordan. Those 2 guys conscionable acceptable the code for everything you privation to beryllium arsenic a hoops player. So I conscionable simply effort to transcript them arsenic overmuch arsenic I can."

Kyrie Irving, who developed a adjacent narration with Bryant anterior to his death, besides sees the similarities.

"I deliberation if you look astatine radical that privation greatness, [they] volition sacrifice clip with their families, their friends, and bash everything imaginable successful bid to springiness everything they person to what they emotion to do, to their craft," Irving said. "They person similarities. And I don't deliberation it's conscionable Kob and KD, I conscionable deliberation erstwhile you spot greatness and you wonderment however radical proceed to bash it twelvemonth aft year, you person to look astatine the hours that are enactment in, the mode that they prepare, and however superior they instrumentality what they do.

"And they're precise competitive, Kobe and KD. Obviously with Kob transitioning successful the past fewer years, helium would decidedly beryllium giving america immoderate gems to proceed on, and you tin archer that K got a batch of proposal from him, and watched him a lot."