Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant might have a bad reputation as a team player around the league, but that hasn't stopped some of the league's top stars from coming to his aid.
First it was Indiana Pacers forward Paul George who was "mortified" by a report saying he wouldn't want to play with Bryant. Now it's former league MVP Kevin Durant, noting his willingness to play with Bryant.
From USA Today:
"Excuse my language, but that's (expletive)," said Durant, who congratulated Bryant via text message after he surpassed Jordan on Sunday. "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. I'd want to play with a guy like that every day. ... (His style) may make people uncomfortable, how he acts and just how he approaches the game, but I love that type of stuff. I think (the accusation) is BS."
He didn't stop there, continuing to praise the Lakers sharpshooter.
"Just his work ethic, just his demeanor man," Durant said when asked what he admired about Bryant. "He doesn't mind being an (expletive), and he comes to work man. He's intense. He demands a lot out of his teammates, and I've seen that just playing alongside him in the Olympics (in 2012). He demands a lot out of everybody. He makes them better. Everybody out on the court. You've got to respect that. As a player, I study guys like that. We might not have the same personality, but I think we approach the game the same way and I've learned a lot from just watching him."
Durant will become a free agent in 2016, but reports have already circulated that he'll only sign with the Thunder or his hometown Washington Wizards.
