Charlotte Hornets: Kevin Durant praises Kemba Walker and says he isn’t underrated
Before the Golden State Warriors matchup against the Charlotte Hornets, Kevin Durant took some time to praise Kemba Walker.
Kevin Durant spoke highly of Kemba Walker ahead of the Golden State Warriors‘ game versus the Charlotte Hornets. KD is one of the best players in the league and it says a lot that he handed out some high praise towards Walker.
When asked if Kemba was underrated, the former NBA MVP said “Na. It’s not like you come into the locker room watching film and not talk about Kemba Walker. He may be underrated to fans that don’t know the game or you guys [the media].” Durant also added that Walker has been “the head of the snake” for the Hornets for the past five years.
KD continued by stating that “He’s provided a nice level of play for this team and a nice standard for this team becoming a leader of this franchise.” The four-time scoring champion ended by saying he was happy for Kemba.
More from Swarm and Sting
- Hornets: Where does Brandon Miller’s ceiling rank among other rookies?
- Charlotte Hornets grade out mostly average in position-by-position ranking
- Hornets News: P.J. Washington makes bold statement on Brandon Miller
- Grade the mock trade: Hornets snag Tyler Herro, flip Gordon Hayward
- Will the Charlotte Hornets be in the 2024 NBA Draft Lottery?
After making his first all-star team in 2016-17, more fans and people from around the league began to become aware of just how good Kemba has become for Charlotte. The added attention hasn’t taken a toll on Walker as he continues to improve his game every year.
Dating back to when Kemba entered the league in 2011, Charlotte has never beaten a Durant-led team. Walker is 0-11 in head to head matchups against KD. Despite that lopsided record, Kevin hasn’t overlooked Walker as a legit star player in the NBA.
While the average NBA fan may not pay much attention to Charlotte or the 27-year old that has been leading them, KD was quick to point out that people around the league know what Kemba is capable of.
Here is the video of Durant praising Walker:
The part that stands out to me the most is when KD said that “everybody in the league respects his game.” Over the past couple years, more and more players have started to praise Walker as he’s raised his level of play each season.
Next: Rumor: Hornets interested in trading for Jordan Clarkson
Multiple players from around the league including LeBron James, Derrick Rose, Elfrid Payton and even Washington Wizards’ head coach Scott Brooks have taken notice of Kemba and have praised him. Kevin Durant is just the latest to praise Walker but there will surely be more in the future. If the Charlotte Hornets’ point guard continues to get better, it will only lead to more attention and recognition.