Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving have been in the NBA together for seven seasons, but it wasn’t until a recent showdown that KD really opened his eyes to the star point guard.
In an interview on The Bill Simmons Podcast, Durant revealed that it was the 2017 NBA Finals matchup between the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers when he realized just how good of a player Irving is.
“We had to be on point with those dudes,” Durant said, as transcribed by SlamOnline. “If we weren’t, we were going to lose the game. That’s how talented Kyrie Irving (is)—he made me a believer last year. I liked Kyrie, but when we played against him, I’m like, ‘Oh (expletive). This guy is a king hooper.’
Durant continued: “Kyrie, playing against him in the Finals made me realize how damn good he is. When we played against them, I knew we couldn’t just come out there and just (expletive) around. We had to play the game.”
The Warriors ultimately won the series in five games, securing Durant’s first championship. But if Irving can get healthy and the Boston Celtics continue to stay hot, there’s a chance he could meet Durant in the Finals for a second straight season.
