Kobe Bryant is no stranger to public criticism. His entire career was a tight-rope act between meeting the ever-growing expectations set for him while fending off any criticism against him. He's also a player who gained the respect of multiple NBA players throughout his career for what he accomplished.
So when Kevin Durant got a message from Bryant following his decision to join the Warriors, he listened to what he had to say. This was a player that had seen it all and just finished up a historic NBA career. That's not advice to be taken lightly. Via the Bay Area News Group:
"'It's to quiet the noise,'" Bryant recalled telling Durant in an interview with Bay Area News Group. "'At the end of day, what people say is inconsequential.'"
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"Having Kobe there to support me through that situation, it felt like him telling me, 'All right, your skills are good enough to be among some of the best,'" Durant told the Bay Area News Group. "'You just have to keep working to stay there.'"
That ended up being some good advice for Durant, because the backlash that followed was definitely more than he was expecting. Between the cupcake chants in Oklahoma City, constant criticism against him on Twitter and becoming public enemy No. 1 among multiple NBA fans, he's had a lot to tune out.
