Despite being so young, Jaren Jackson Jr. can confidently say he has faced many talented scorers in the NBA, some he has had the better off. However, in a conversation on the podcast, The Old Man and the Three, he believes Kevin Durant stands out as one of the rare few players who are truly exceptional.
The 2023 Defensive Player of the Year, Jaren Jackson Jr. has stamped his mark as one of the key players for the Grizzlies. He asserted that in order to lead his team down the path of success; he identified that they do have to go through Kevin Durant and his Phoenix Suns team.
KD’s been doing this for a long time. He was my favorite player growing up. So just seeing everything he does is insane… That rim stuff is just boring for him… He’s just trying to have fun.
Jaren Jackson Jr. said
The Slim Reaper has cemented his place in NBA folklore as a two-time champion and a mouth-watering 14-time NBA All-Star. And with stars like Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, the Suns do have a chance at competing in the Western Conference.
However, it won’t be that easy as the hotly contested Western Conference now has the Grizzlies back on the radar after a bad spell last season. As for the ‘Block Panther’, he knows what is required for his team, who have a very slim margin of error in the West, and with a returning Ja Morant and Jackson Jr. leading the line on a very good day, they can take the league by storm if everyone stays healthy though.
Hassan Whiteside reveals he tried to recruit Kevin Durant to Miami Heat
Kevin Durant has always been a hot piece of cake in the league due to his status as one of the greats. In response, former Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside shared recently on “The OGs” show that he attempted but failed to bring KD to the Heat in 2016.
In the conversation, Whiteside revealed that he went as far as even offering to take a pay cut to make room for KD, who was a free agent at the time. There’s no doubt that with Durant, the Heat would have been championship contenders, alongside other elite teams like the Warriors and Cavaliers, had he made the move.
I told Pat [Riley], I said if KD comes I’ll take less money. It was more so about winning. We would have Goran, D-Wade, Kevin Durant, Chris Bosh, and then me at the five… I’m here for it.
Hassan Whiteside said
Whiteside envisioned a starting lineup that featured Durant, Goran Dragic, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, and himself, which would have posed a serious threat in the Eastern Conference. However, despite Whiteside’s efforts and a recruiting pitch, Durant chose to join the Golden State Warriors instead, a move that caused a lot of uproar among fans up to this day.
