“I don’t have to be Kobe Bryant” – Kevin Durant’s retort after Oklahoma City Thunder’s heartbreaking loss to the Memphis Grizzlies in 2013 originally appeared on Basketball Network.
Los Angeles Lakers icon Kobe Bryant and Houston Rockets star Kevin Durant are two of the greatest players in the game, but they evaluated success in the NBA differently.
Advertisement
When Bryant and the Lakers were eliminated in the 2011 Western Conference Semis by the Dallas Mavericks, the Black Mamba called the 2010-11 season “a wasted year of my life.” If Kobe had gotten past the Mavs, he would’ve been closer to winning his sixth championship ring.
Durant also endured a similar heartbreaking defeat in the 2013 Western Conference Semis when the Memphis Grizzlies eliminated his Oklahoma City Thunder. The season prior, they had reached the 2012 NBA Finals but fell to the LeBron James-led Miami Heat. Analysts were confident the young Thunder team could reach the NBA Finals the following year and win it all. But lo and behold, they lost to a fifth-seeded squad.
All is well
Whereas Kobe was pessimistic about his failed quest for his second three-peat, the 24-year-old Durant was more hopeful. The loss hurt, but from a broader perspective, Durant was happy to get to play the game he loves the most.
Advertisement
“Nothing’s ever a wasted year for me. It’s basketball. I’ve grown so much as a man since the beginning of the season. I’ve grown so much as a leader. Nothing is ever wasted,” Durant said in 2013 via ESPN.
“Of course, the ultimate goal in this league is to win a championship. But I’m never going to say I wasted a year. I’m blessed to even wake up and do something I love every day. So it’s never wasted.”
Forging his path
In his sixth year in the league, Durant was already considered a basketball titan en route to multiple rings. This label came with heavy expectations and comparisons with other greats. Analysts wanted KD to be as ferocious and relentless as Kobe, but the 6’11” forward shunned such analogies and opted to write his own story.
Advertisement
“I don’t give a damn,” Durant continued. “I’m going to be who I’m going to be. I’m not Kobe Bryant. I’m not Michael Jordan. I’m not LeBron James. I’m not Magic Johnson. I’m me. I’m not going to ever compromise myself, my integrity and what I believe in for winning some basketball games and winning a championship. That’s just not how I was brought up.”
Just because Durant subscribes to a different philosophy than Kobe doesn’t mean he’s not hungry for victory. KD reiterated how he would do everything to achieve victory, noting he’s not satisfied being just a star player in the NBA.
“I’m going to work as hard as I can to try to get to that mountaintop,” Durant said. “I enjoy playing the game. I enjoy being here. But I’m never going to come out to the media and say we wasted a year because we lost a championship. Like I said, I don’t have to be Kobe Bryant.”
In the years following Durant’s 2013 defeat, he has moved to different teams, reached the NBA Finals, won two rings, and is still considered one of the finest scorers in history. KD is no longer compared to other basketball icons. When people hear his name, they envision a singular baller who has improved the game.
Advertisement
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 9, 2025, where it first appeared.