Lakers: Kevin Durant Has Kobe’s Back, Tells It Like It Is (Video)
Kevin Durant bluntly gave his thoughts about how the media has relentlessly criticized Kobe Bryant recently
Will he or won’t he? That has been the question for the last three years or so regarding Kobe Bryant and when he would ever retire. The responses and speculation from the media have not always been the nicest, and a few having been calling for his retirement for quite awhile. Well, that speculation is now over as Kobe announced through The Players’ Tribune poetically that he is retiring.
It was a special poem that wasn’t written to the fans, wasn’t written to the Lakers, wasn’t written to the Buss family or even written to his team; he wrote his poem to the game of basketball. He has been in a love affair with the game of basketball for most of his life, and the Lakers for his entire career.
Lakers fans who have cheered for Kobe Bryant for 20 years are showing their emotions all over social media. Facebook has lit up with memorial memes and commentary like we haven’t seen in a long time for an athlete.
Watching Bryant answer questions about his retirement in last night’s post game presser was not easy to watch without tearing up if you are a true purple-and-gold Lakers fan. This NBA legend, Kobe Bean Bryant, The Black Mamba, showed a lot of emotion and seemed to struggle to hold back tears himself, so how could his fans not feel for him?
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The media has been quite critical of Bryant in his 20th NBA season thus far. One thing that the media may not have considered is how their words and opinions would affect other NBA stars who respect and look up to Kobe, the Kobe they know now and the Kobe they admired while growing up.
These players must be thinking about their own future and what will happen when they near retirement. Should they hang on as long as Bryant if this is how the media will treat them? Maybe not. One beloved NBA star spoke up.
Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant has been paying attention. He let reporters know just how he feels, expressing his displeasure with how the media has covered Bryant recently (Warning: NSFW Language)
The dynamic duo of @KDTrey5 & @RussWest44 share their thoughts on the retirement of @KobeBryant.https://t.co/EuYFij8JOM
— NBA TV (@NBATV) December 1, 2015
Way to put it out their KD!! They did treat him badly, and they are now nice to him; after all, he gave them a new story to report on. Maybe they should think twice in the future about their commentary.
Fans and the media alike forget that these athletes are human beings with feelings. They aren’t just millionaires who have a ton of skill. They aren’t made of steel. Critical and sometimes inaccurate comments about their team, their coach, or themselves become an NBA players’ kryptonite.
None of us really know what goes on behind the scenes, why coaches are making decisions, why players may not play well in any given game. So maybe we can be critical, but do it with a little more care and realize that NBA players are people too.
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We will miss the Black Mamba. Maybe he will take to broadcasting and give us his commentary alongside his former teammate Shaquille O’Neal. Wouldn’t that be fun!