Kevin Durant, a four-time NBA scoring champion and Olympic gold medalist, has been both a teammate and a rival to numerous basketball legends. This unique perspective has led the Phoenix Suns forward to single out one defender as the most challenging in his career.
In a recent interview on the Out The Mud Podcast with Tony Allen, Durant opened up about his admiration for Allen’s defensive prowess. “I wasn’t relaxed playing against you, for sure,” Kevin admitted. “I feel like you’re the best defender that I played against in my career… I talk basketball with all types of people and I tell them every time, ‘No (expletive) TA’s the hardest guy to go against,’ strictly for the fact that you can’t get a screen. The physical aspects on top of it.”
Durant highlighted the qualities that made Allen such a formidable defender. “A lot of people talk about your heart and your mentality but let’s talk about the technique too which is important as a defender.” Durant explained. “You skinny up, you don’t get by screens. When you do get hit you keep pursuing the screen, you use your hands well. You play like a lockdown corner.”
Tony Allen, who played 14 seasons in the NBA, was known for his suffocating defense. He began his career with the Boston Celtics in 2004, earning a championship in 2008, before moving to the Memphis Grizzlies, where he became a key figure. He finished his career with the New Orleans Pelicans in 2018. Allen was named to the NBA’s All-Defensive First Team three times and the Second Team three times, accolades that validate Durant’s high praise.
“I had to be on point with everything I did,” Durant recalled of their matchups. “Detail-wise, catching the ball, my angles, where my foot was, where my jump shot was. So no, I wasn’t relaxed, bro. I was locked in, trying to be the best I could every possession.”
Kevin Durant #35 of the Oklahoma City Thunder dribbles the ball while defended by Tony Allen #9 of the Memphis Grizzlies on April 26, 2014 in Memphis, Tennessee.
Allen compared to other defensive greats
Durant also offered insight into how Allen compares to other elite defenders in the NBA. “Somebody asked me the difference between you and Draymond (Green), because I played with Draymond and had a lot of battles against you,” he said.
Then the Phoenix Suns star drew a comparison to two legendary NFL players. “I saw Draymond kind of like Ed Reed, where he’s a safety. He’s going to be guarding every play and you know he’s behind that defense,” Durant said. “It’s more like Darrelle Revis, Deion (Sanders) where you’re going to follow that guy all the time.”
Durant then shared a personal reflection. “Even though Jerry Rice had a tough matchup against Deion, he knew in his mind that Deion had a good game. He had to bring out his best and that’s how I felt when I played against you,” Kevin said, further underscoring Allen’s defensive mastery.
Durant’s performance against Allen
Over their 10-plus years in the NBA, Durant and Allen squared off 24 times in the regular season, with the two evenly splitting the series 12-12. However, Durant had the upper hand in their playoff matchups, winning two out of three.
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Kevin Durant reveals the toughest playoff series of his NBA career
Individually, Durant put up solid numbers against Allen: 26.4 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game. Despite these impressive stats, Durant’s scoring and assist averages against Allen were slightly below his career norms, signaling just how much of a challenge Allen presented on the defensive end.
