Veteran guard Derrick White has long been known as a good NBA defender, and he got to know Houston Rockets star Kevin Durant well during their recent time with Team USA.
Last summer, that United States national team won the men’s basketball gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
On a new episode of his White Noise Podcast, the Boston Celtics star reflected on his time playing alongside the big names on that squad (which also included Steph Curry and LeBron James), and he had this to say about Durant:
Olympic KD is so cold. I told people — imagine running as fast as you can, jumping as high as you can, reaching as high as possible, and not being close to the ball. That’s every KD jumper. I’ve always wanted to block his shot — never have.
I told him, ‘You’re one of the coldest, ever.’ In close games, we’d just give KD the ball up top — whatever shot he wants.
Durant is listed at 6-foot-10, but it’s long been speculated that he’s actually taller than that. Whatever the case, he’s perhaps the best shooter in NBA history among players that tall, and that makes him a difficult cover for even the world’s best defenders.
Over his last five NBA seasons, Durant has averaged 27.9 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game on extremely efficient shooting percentages of 53.1% overall and 41.5% on 3-pointers. He turns 37 years old in late September, but at least to this point, he’s not showing any signs of slowing down.
This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: ‘One of the coldest, ever’: Boston’s Derrick White reflects on Rockets star Kevin Durant
Reporting by Ben DuBose, Rockets Wire / Rockets Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
