Kevin Durant Talks His NBA 'Influence,' Says Young Players 'Show Me Love and Respect'

Phoenix Suns superstar Kevin Durant discussed his impact on the NBA's younger generation.

“I hear it all the time,” Durant said, per Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic. “I see these long, athletic guys coming in, and I kind of see the similarities and the play style and the approach to the game. It’s pretty cool to see that kids were watching me as I was coming up, and they make it to the league now and show me love and respect for what I did out on the floor. So, yeah, I hear about that influence a lot."

“I try to always impact the game, because you never know who’s watching," he added.

Durant has established himself as one of the top three-level scorers in NBA history, pulling up over smaller defenders from almost anywhere on the court. He has 15 All-Star appearances, four scoring titles, two championships, two Finals MVP awards and one MVP under his belt.

The 36-year-old already sits at No. 8 on the NBA's all-time scoring list, but he hasn't shown many signs of slowing down in Phoenix.

Durant is averaging 27.2 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game on 53.6/40.9/82.7 shooting splits with the Suns this season.

He's received respect from the association's top young stars over the past few years, with Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant delivering him the game ball after he reached 30,000 career points during a meeting between the two teams on Feb. 12.

Minnesota Timberwolves shooting guard Anthony Edwards also referred to Durant as "my favorite player of all time" during a first-round playoff series between the Timberwolves and Suns in 2024, via Dave Campbell of the Associated Press.

As Durant faces off against players that watched him growing up, he's fully aware of the influence he's had on the new wave of NBA stars.