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by Brandon Richard
There were two clear observations to take away from Wednesday night's game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Los Angles Lakers. First, Kevin Durant relished the opportunity to compete against a player he's looked up to for so long in Kobe Bryant. Also, there's a deep mutual respect between both players.
Durant and Bryant went head-to-head in a matchup that was fairly entertaining until the Thunder seized control in the third quarter. There were some flashback moments for Kobe, including one of his famous behind-the-backboard fade away jumpers, while Durant got the best of the old man a few times with his length and speed.
Following the game, a 120-85 Thunder victory, Durant and Bryant showed respect for each other once more in the form of a sneaker exchange. Bryant received Durant's Nike KD 8 and, in turn, gifted Durant with his Nike Kobe 10 Elite. The Mamba also offered Durant a little inspiration with an inscription along the midsole: “To KD: Be the Greatest.”
When asked if he had exchanged sneakers with Bryant following the game, Durant jokingly told Lakers Nation, “Yeah, don’t tell nobody though, man. I don’t want to be looked at as a softy.”
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