Kevin Durant Reflects on Kobe Bryant, Lakers Matchup as His 'Welcome to the NBA' Moment in Video

Kevin Durant has been dominating the NBA for so long, it's easy to forget that he was once a rookie who was still in awe of all the talent around him.

Reflecting on his "welcome to the league moment," the Houston Rockets star recalled going up against Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant during his first season in the NBA.

"The Lakers were on a back-to-back, actually, so it felt like, naturally, that would be an easy game for us," Durant said (1:20 mark). "I think Kobe had like 47 and hit the game-winner. That when I was like, 'Yeah, he's a different machine. That's what I want to be in this league.'"

Durant has since carved a Hall of Fame career of his own, and today's rookies likely look at him the same way he looked at Bryant nearly two decades ago.

The 37-year-old Durant is still an elite scorer and looks primed to lead the Rockets to a deep playoff run, putting up 26.1 points per game this year.