Kevin Durant sounded off in a recent interview on the lack of appreciation he gets for his defensive ability.
Few will dispute that Durant is one of the most talented offensive players the NBA has ever seen. He is a four-time scoring champion and one of just seven players ever to finish a season shooting 50 percent from the floor, 40 percent from behind the three-point line, and 90 percent from the free-throw line.
One area of Durant’s game that does he feels does not get discussed enough for his liking is his defense. Durant takes pride in his defense. However, he feels it’s nearly impossible for him to win the Defensive Player of the Year Award due to a perceived “hate” towards him. Durant made his remarks during an interview with Bonta and Papa on 95.7 The Game on Monday.
“You know they’re not gonna give me anything,” Durant told the hosts, as transcribed by NBC Sports. “Even if it’s on the fence, I have to be clear-cut better than everybody for me to even get a look.
“It’s just pure hate for me, obviously, and no appreciation for my real skill for the game,” Durant continued. “But I get it. I understand where we coming from. I understand what we have here in this building that scares everybody.”
Durant finished seventh in DPOY voting last season so his efforts were noticed by some. However, he failed to make the All-Defense Team, something Durant has not achieved yet in his career. He may be out to prove a point on that end of the floor during the upcoming season.
