With so much excitement heading into the 2014-15 season, the NBA and fans unfortunately lost Kevin Durant to a Jones fracture for at least six to eight weeks.
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With it being the first significant injury of his career, Durant shares that he received some advice from Kobe Bryant on “Mike & Mike” via ESPN’s Royce Young:
From a guy like Kobe that stood out to me, just knowing he’s at the top of his game, but always trying to get better in all aspects, I learned a lot just from that conversation. It was big for me.
In his seven-year career, Durant has only missed 16 games and says talking to the five-time champion put everything in perspective for him:
Even though [Bryant’s] injury was worse than mine — he was out for longer — every time I don’t play, I still feel as though something is missing from yourself,” Durant said. “It was good to hear from him and put everything in perspective.
With Durant already out, the Oklahoma City Thunder were dealt another tough blow as Russell Westbrook suffered a broken bone in his right hand that will keep him sidelined for at least four weeks. It will be interesting to see if the Thunder remain in the playoff hunt with both of their superstars out for significant time.
For the Lakers, they are looking for their first win of the season as they take on the Phoenix Suns at home. Despite four straight losses and trade speculation, Kobe said recently that he is extremely loyal to the franchise and will remain in Los Angeles.
In four games, Kobe is averaging 24.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 32.0 minutes.
[divide]Kobe Bryant Reacts To Kevin Durant’s Injury