Kobe Bryant called Kevin Durant the toughest player he had to guard. Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

Kevin Durant reveals Kobe Bryant's brutal trash talk to him

Originally posted on Game 7 | By Anthony Amador | Last updated 1/17/22

Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant was one of the greatest NBA players of all time.

His record speaks for itself.

Five NBA championships. Two NBA Finals MVPs. One regular-season MVP. An incredible 18 All-Star selections.

Aside from just being a beast as a basketball player, Bryant was also one of the greatest trash-talkers the sport of basketball had ever seen.

During an interview, Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant revealed the brutal words Bryant had for him after his team had beaten the Lakers.

“Yeah it was the day before the All-Star break and we were beating them pretty good at OKC,” Durant said.

“And [Kobe said] you can basically, you can have this game, but you can’t sit at my table.”

Bryant and Durant had a fascinating relationship, with a mutual respect for another that extended beyond words.

Durant famously opened up about his beef with Bryant. Conversely, Bryant called Durant the toughest player he had to guard.

And of course Durant didn’t hesitate to settle the Bryant vs LeBron James debate once and for all the first chance he got.

It’s great that so many players have been so open with the impact Bryant had on their careers, from all angles. It allows the Lakers legend’s memory to live on forever and allows fans who missed his reign to really understand how meaningful it was.

This article first appeared on Game 7 and was syndicated with permission.

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