JJ Redick Says Kevin Durant Is 'The Modern Version Of Kobe Bryant'

Kevin Durant is often labeled the greatest scorer in NBA history. After 14 years in the association, Durantula has signed his name on the greatest of all time list thanks to his impressive offensive arsenal. 

KD torches rivals on a nightly basis, getting the best of his defenders. A 7 footer with handles, a jumper and more tools to attack the basket, Durant is definitely a generational talent. He's often compared to the all-time greats like Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant, two of the most complete scorers this league has seen. 

A former Bryant, Durant rival recently compared the latter to the Black Mamba, saying that the Brooklyn Nets star is the modern version of the late Los Angeles Lakers legend. Talking with defensive specialist Davion Mitchell on his 'The Old Man and the Three' podcast, Redick compared the two stars (13:15).

“Guarding Kobe Bryant was sort of like an exercise in futility. There was nothing you could do defensively to stop him. He was either going to make the shot or miss the shot.”

“I feel as if Kevin Durant is the modern version of Kobe. There’s not a whole lot you can do to stop him. He’s got the handle, got the jumper, he’s got everything he can do.”

Even though some fans would rip Redick for this take, if Kobe were still here, he would have taken it as a huge compliment. Years after his retirement, the 5x NBA champion praised KD, revealing he was the only player he couldn't figure out. 

"Kevin Durant. That was the one that I retired without really being able to figure out what it is-- how I can stop him. 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."

Kevin had the utmost respect for Kobe, too, as he revealed he feared the Black Mamba when the game entered crunch time. KB24 was an inspiration for the former Thunder, Warriors star. When he first entered the league, Durant made up a rivalry with Kobe to try to surpass him. 

It seems like things worked for the Slim Reaper. He's one of the most talented scorers this game has seen and is getting compared to none other than Kobe Bryant, the idol of an entire generation. In terms of points, KD ranks 23rd all-time with 23,883 while Kobe is 4th with 33,643. He could make a run at the top 5 in the next years to really confirm he's part of the elite.