Los Angeles Lakers big man Anthony Davis is widely regarded as one of the league’s best defenders. Although he is still working his way back into game shape from his delayed absence, when healthy, he’s just about impossible to get around.
This week, Davis did a Reddit AMA where he answered a myriad of questions.
One of the more interesting ones he was pressed with: “Who is the toughest player for you to guard?”
Davis didn’t even hesitate.
“KD,” Davis wrote. “[He’s] 6’11, can do it all from anywhere on the floor. I’ve won some battles, he’s won some battles, but having to guard him is just tough.”
Davis isn’t alone in giving Durant his due for being impossible to defend. Lakers legend Kobe Bryant once famously said something similar.
“That was the one that I retired without really being able to figure out what it is– how I can stop him,” Bryant said of Durant.
“When he first came into the league, he was easy to defend because he couldn’t go right and shoot. He shot kinda across his face so that was a weakness that he had.
“Also, in the post, he couldn’t turn left shoulder, everything was right shoulder so that gave me areas that I could shut off. Right then, he started developing so I developed it and now he can pull up left, he can pull upright, he can shoot the long ball, he has runners, left hand, right hand.
“Before he had a left-hand finish at the rim, I could always send him left, force him all the way to the basket, even with the advantages of besides, he was still uncomfortable finishing with his left so I could clamp the right hand, and now forced him into a tough situation. But now he’s developed that so I retired not being able to figure him out.”
The Bucks owner’s daughter decided to bring 2021 in with a bang by stripping all her clothes off. https://t.co/UgzhEEna4o
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Durant hasn’t been healthy much this year, but when he has, he’s been pretty damn good. As long as he stays out of trouble and continues to get back to game shape, he’s going to keep giving Davis and everyone else in the league problems this season and beyond.
As for Davis, him keeping it 100 about an opposing player shouldn’t come as a surprise. Whether he’s getting brutally honest about LeBron James’ decision not to get vaccinated or the toughest player to defend in the league, he always keeps it real.
Related: Chris Paul’s Extremely Honest Take On Kobe Bryant
Charles Kruger has been credentialed to cover two Super Bowls, four NBA Finals, and one World Series. A 20-year veteran in the sports world, he has sources spanning the NBA, MLB, NFL, UFC and NASCAR. Currently residing in Los Angeles, Calif., he is Game 7’s go-to source for rumors surrounding the Lakers, Clippers and Dodgers.
