Kevin Durant and Kobe Bryant on the same team? If the decision was up to the reigning MVP, the prolific scoring duo would be on the court together.
Durant, who will become a free agent at the end of the 2016 season, spoke highly of Bryant passing Michael Jordan on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.
"I want to play with a winner every single night, especially somebody who wants to win that bad, who works that hard, who demands a lot, who raises up your level," Durant said Tuesday night via USA Today. "I'd want to play with a guy like that every day."
Durant also praised Bryant’s work ethic and demeanor that some NBA players and GMs think is too abrasive.
"He doesn't mind being an (expletive), and he comes to work, man. He's intense. He demands a lot out of his teammates," Durant said.
Bryant, who last week went on a expletive-laced tirade on his teammates at practice, has been recently labeled as the sole problem of the 8-17 Lakers, but Durant defended the five-time NBA champion's play.
“Excuse my language, but that's (expletive)," Durant said when asked if certain players don’t want to be teammates with Bryant. "How he acts and how he approaches the game, I love that type of stuff."
Durant is averaging 21.5 points and 5.4 rebounds for the Thunder (12-13) after missing the first 17 games of the season while recovering from a foot injury. Bryant, a candidate for NBA Comeback Player of the Year, is third in the league in scoring at 25.2 points per game.