Kevin Durant is in the middle of his 16th NBA season. He played with and against some of the greatest players in league history, including future Hall of Famers like Stephen Curry and LeBron James.
But even someone as accomplished as Durant has never seen anyone like the French phenom in San Antonio.
Durant and the Suns faced Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs twice this week, giving basketball fans a few opportunities to see the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft go head-to-head with the All-Star forward. Wembanyama left with two victories, the latest to date scoring a career-high 38 points during San Antonio’s 132-121 win over the Suns on Thursday night.
MORE: This piece by Victor Wembanyama is impossible to keep
During the “Hooper Vision” alternate broadcast of the Warriors-Thunder game on Friday, Quentin Richardson and Dorell Wright spoke to Durant about Wembanyama’s incredible potential. Richardson introduced the topic by asking Durant about the rare experience of defending a player who can shoot him.
“When he stood up and shot the ball, I was like, ‘There’s no way I’m going to be close to that.’ So I’m just going to play hard and contest, man, because you’re either going to foul him or he’s just going to make the shot,” Durant said. “If he misses, it’s all on him.
“He’s different, man. He’s long, athletic, mobile. He can shoot. He’s got skills. He’s tough.”
KD talks about his match against Wemby #NBAHooperVision ????️
Tap and watch on the NBA app: https://t.co/b57zSdz8rA pic.twitter.com/TlmOlHegY9
– NBA tournament in season (@NBA) November 4, 2023
Durant also praised Wembanyama for his defensive versatility, saying he respects the 19-year-old’s “competitive nature.”
“He came down and guarded me,” Durant said. “Someone like him, he’s so big, you try to get into his body. You try to create space somehow by stopping his momentum. But he’s still long and he can recover pretty quickly. … He’s going to be a problem, man.”
Wembanyama has only played five regular season games, but he has already made history. He is the first player since Shaquille O’Neal to total 100 points and 10 blocks in his first five career games, according to ESPN statistics and information. He also has joins Durant and James as the only teenagers in NBA history to record at least 35 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks in a game.
Although Durant acknowledged Wembanyama may experience some growing pains in his first season as coaches develop plans to stop him, he has no doubt Wembanyama will live up to the hype.
“I think he’s the real deal,” Durant said.
