NBA Rumors: Kevin Durant Wants The Media To Be Nice To Kobe Bryant

NBA Rumors: Kevin Durant feels like the media has been too tough on Kobe Bryant recently, calls for them to be nicer to the living legend

Evidently, Kevin Durant doesn’t want the media doing its job.

Or he does, just not when it comes to Kobe Bryant.

A day after Kobe’s viral “poem,” which stated that he would be retiring after the season, continued to make the rounds in NBA circles, Durant shared some words on how he idolized Kobe growing up and what he meant for this generation of basketball fans. He also told the media that they were being too mean to a living legend.

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"[via NewsOK]Kobe announced his retirement last night. He’s a guy you grew up watching and got to know. What was your first thoughts when you heard this would be it for him?Kevin Durant: “I did idolize Kobe Bryant. I studied him, wanted to be like him. He was our Michael Jordan. I watched Michael toward the end of his career with the Wizards and I seen that’s what Kobe emerged as the guy for us. I’ve been disappointed this year because you guys (media) treated him like shit. He’s a legend and all I hear is about how bad he’s playing, how bad he’s shooting, time for him to hang it up. You guys treated one of our legends like shit and I didn’t really like it. Hopefully now you can start being nice to him now that he decided to retire after this year. It was sad the way he was getting treated. He had just an amazing career, a guy who changed the game for me as a player mentally and physically. Means so much to the game of basketball. Someone I’m always gonna look to advice for anything. Just a brilliant, brilliant, intelligent man. Sad to see him go. He put his mark on the game.”"

In fairness, I don’t think the media was treating Kobe like sh!t. In fact, I thought the majority was just doing its job. They were calling out Kobe, who clearly isn’t the player he once was, for continuing to operate as if he was still in MVP form.

Kobe is averaging 15 points (17 shots) on 30 percent shooting from the field and 20 percent shooting from three-point range this season.

He never took a step back, nor did he stop shooting. Was some of the criticism unfair? I mean there’s usually a few clippings that go a bit overboard, but I don’t think any knowledgeable media type would say the majority was unfair.

Next: NBA Power Rankings: Kobe Bryant Calls It Quits; What's Next For The Lakers

Not even Kobe.

Durant continues to prove that he doesn’t have much of a thick skin. He’s ultra sensitive when it comes to what the media says. He clearly doesn’t sound like a player who’s ready to play in a big market. And yet, for the most part, continues to get a pass by said media. Amazing.

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