Getty Kevin Durant.
Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant has always been vocal about the next generation of basketball players. On his YouTube channel he talks about up-and-coming high school players, he hosts camps and tournaments for the nation’s top-ranked players, and who can forget the viral photo where he famously went to watch Stephen Curry while he was playing at Davidson. As a basketball aficionado, it is safe to say that Durant keeps a watchful eye on young talent in the game. So, when he was asked about one particular rising star after the Nets win on Monday against the Utah Jazz, his response came as no surprise.
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Kevin Durant Compares Ja Morant to Michael Jordan, Allen Iverson & Others
Before the Nets played against the Memphis Grizzlies on March 23, Durant was asked about Grizzlies star Ja Morant and whether his skills resembled anyone in the league today.
“He’s a combination of players. Like when he’s playing, I see about two or three different Hall of Famers in his game. From Iverson, or he might make a Jordan-like layup, or he might run down the court like Westbrook or D Rose,” Durant said of Morant via SNY.
“I don’t want to gas him up too much since we are playing against him, but I think the sky’s the limit for him, his futures obviously bright, and he makes everybody better playing against him, even opponents.”
Kevin Durant says he sees Allen Iverson, Michael Jordan, Russell Westbrook and Derrick Rose in the game of Ja Morant:
“His future is obviously bright. He makes everybody playing against him – even opponents”
This is not the first time KD has had such high praise for Morant. Back in January, he talked about Ja’s style of play and potential in the league as speculation of a spot in the All-Star game started to become reality for the young point guard out of Memphis and eventually came to fruition.
“He’s just controlling the games,” Durant told reporters on January 3 per SNY. “Always been an efficient player who can run the point guard spot. He’s developed into a major scorer as well, and he just plays with great pace out there, plays with joy and enthusiasm. You see him blossoming in front of our eyes. Since college, he’s been on this trajectory, and as a basketball fan you can’t wait to see what it’s like in the years going forward.”
“You see him blossoming in front of our eyes”
Kevin Durant has high praise for Ja Morant:
Kevin Durant Looking at ‘Big Picture’ With the Nets
It has been a tough season for the Nets organization. They struggled with injuries, constant lineup changes, and chemistry issues. Yet Brooklyn is still eighth in the Eastern Conference standings with just 10 games left in the regular season.
However, this, unfortunately, puts them in position for the NBA’s play-in tournament, where they will have to compete against the 7th seeded team if they look to secure a spot in the playoffs this year. Considering the turmoil that Brooklyn has faced, a great deal of credit must be given to the players and staff for still being in contention. Durant was asked if he felt there would be regrets about this season if it doesn’t pan out the way the organization hoped. His answer was an emphatic no.
“If you’re looking at it as if, like, this is our only chance to ever do something special with this group — and other people looking at it that way — then I can see why,” Durant said to reporters via ESPN.
“But to be honest, I signed here for five years to play. You know what I’m saying? Looking at it, obviously, this year’s important, but no matter what happens this year, I still want to do it again. And again. I want to continue to play, have this group together as long as we can. So short term, we can focus on that for sure, but we also looking at the big picture of things too.”
With Kyrie Irving now eligible to play full-time, things are starting to look up for the Nets. Whether or not Ben Simmons will be available for the postseason remains to be seen, but the Nets have already shown that they are still a worthy opponent without him.
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Kevin Durant Compares Rising West All-Star to Michael Jordan