Kevin Durant is almost certainly one of the best defensive basketball players out right now, and he's not one to disagree. He doesn't, however, have the utmost confidence he'll win the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year award, citing "pure hate" for him in the league.
"You know they're not gonna give me anything," Durant told 95.7 The Game. "Even if it's on the fence, I have to be clear-cut better than everybody for me to even get a look. It's just pure hate for me obviously no appreciation for my real skill for the game. But I get it. I understand where we coming from. I understand what we have here in this building that scares everybody."
He went on to explain his answer further, adding, "But for me, I was just proud of the growth that I had in that area, where I just wanted to be able to be relied on to guard anybody. You know, accolades, that stuff is long gone for me unless it’s like Finals or something like that where it’s probably pretty even. But regular season awards, I’m never gonna get a look when it comes to that, especially playing here for the Warriors.”
Hopefully Durant receives the acclaim he so clearly deserves, whether there's "pure hate" for him or not.
