Kevin Durant of the Phoenix Suns has had his share of battles with LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers. They are NBA rivals but give each other mutual respect on and off the hardwood.
With James turning 39 years old this year, the 2014 NBA Most Valuable Player could not help but marvel at how the Lakers superstar continues to play at a high level. Durant says it is inspiring to see, hailing the 19-time NBA All-Star.
"He's 38 years old, he goes through so much. You know, off the floor, or as just a man in general. Family. He got so many responsibilities. Still love the game. Still getting up. Playing back-to-backs and s***. Still playing 40 minutes. It's like, man, salute," Durant said when he appeared on the ETC podcast.
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Ironically, James also mentioned in the past that KD inspired him to do better. This was back in 2014 when the four-time MVP was asked in an interview by NBA TV who motivated him to improve.
"I feel like [Kevin Durant is] next in line...I love the way he plays the game... I'm talking about his play. The way he plays every single night is very inspiring, motivating. This is a guy who goes out every single night and gives it his all," James said at the time.
Durant himself is not getting any younger and finds himself adjusting to a new team.
Durant, Suns NBA title odds revealed
Heading into the 2023-24 NBA season, the 13-time All-Star finds himself with a team given high odds of winning it all - especially after the Suns added Bradley Beal to the roster, AZ Central reported.
The Phoenix Suns are now ranked fourth at +670 by Tipico Sportsbook. The only teams ahead of them are the Denver Nuggets (+470), Boston Celtics (+490), and the Milwaukee Bucks (+650).
The Golden State Warriors (+1000) and the Lakers (+3100) are in the fifth and sixth spots, respectively.
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