NBA Star Raves About Pirates' Paul Skenes

Durant got to see Skenes throw four scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and a walk, while making seven strikeouts, the highest total for any Team USA pitcher in the past three World Baseball Classics. Team USA would go on and win 5-3, with Skenes getting the victory as well.

The NBA star, who is playing for the Houston Rockets and already in the area, was impressed with what he saw from Skenes and called him a "dawg" on Twitter.

Skenes earning that kind of recognition from Durant isn't something he normally gets, but with this serving as likely his most notable pitching appearance, it isn't a surprise to see other athletes impressed with what they saw out of the Pirates star.

Comparing Paul Skenes and Kevin Durant's Career

Durant and Skenes have a big difference in age, as Durant turned 37 years old last September and Skenes will turn 24 years old in May.

Both did have excellent college careers, particularly their best season, as Durant dominated at Texas in the 2006-07 season and Skenes transferred to LSU from Air Force for the 2023 season.

Durant averaged 25.8 points, 11.1 rebounds, 1.9 blocks, 1.9 steals and 1.3 assists per game, while shooting 47.3% from the field, 40.4% from 3-point range and 81.6% from the foul line.

He was the unanimous National Player of the year, USBWA National Freshman of the Year and both Big 12 Freshman of the Year and Big 12 Player of the Year that season, before going second overall in the 2007 NBA Draft to the Seattle Supersonics.

Skenes posted a 13-2 record in 19 starts with LSU in 2023, a 1.69 ERA in 122.2 innings, allowing just 23 earned runs and seven unearned runs, an impressive 0.75 WHIP and 165 batting average allowed (BAA), while making 209 strikeouts to just 20 walks on the year.

Skenes led Division I in strikeouts, WHIP and K/9 (15.33), second in ERA, third in K/BB (1.45) and fifth in H/9 (5.28). He also led the SEC in strikeouts, BAA, innings pitched, wins and ERA.

He dominated in the College World Series, with a 1.15 ERA in 15.2 innings pitched and a win in two starts, 21 strikeouts to just two walks, plus just five hits and two runs allowed. He won the College World Series Most Outstanding Player Award for his performances.

Skenes earned SEC Pitcher of the Year honors and won the Dick Howser Trophy for his performance, honoring the best player in college baseball.

Durant is one of the greatest players in NBA history, a 16-time All-Star, six-time All-NBA First Team, five-time All-NBA Second Team, four-time NBA Scoring Champion, two-time NBA Champion and Finals MVP, 2007-08 NBA Rookie of the Year, 2013-14 NBA MVP and a member of the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.

Skenes has only pitched in two MLB seasons, but won the 2024 National League Rookie of the Year Award and then the 2025 NL Cy Young Award, posting the lowest ERA at 1.97, while also starting for the NL twice in the All-Star Game and earning All-MLB First Team honors as well.

The Pirates star has quite a bit to go before achieving everything in baseball that Durant has in basketball, but his trajectory has him on that track and then some.