Kevin Durant just received the ultimate compliment from college basketball’s biggest star

Kevin Durant joined Houston last summer in a historic seven-team blockbuster trade that sent Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, and the draft rights to No. 10 pick Khaman Maluach to Phoenix. 

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At 37, Durant proved he is still an elite scorer. He played 78 regular-season games, his most since the 2013–14 season, and led the Rockets with 26.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game. 

But his postseason was a different story because it went very poorly. KD hurt his knee in practice before Round 1 against the underdog Los Angeles Lakers and managed to play only one game.

Without him, the Rockets were eliminated in six games. Despite the early exit, Durant remains one of the NBA’s all-time greats, a status that college basketball’s current megastar recently confirmed.

AJ Dybantsa, the BYU freshman who led the nation in scoring at 25.5 points per game while adding 6.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists across 35 games this season, appeared on the «All The Smoke» podcast and was asked which player he models his game after the most. His answer focused on Kevin Durant, but with a twist.

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«My favorite player is Kevin Durant,» Dybantsa said, «but the comp I got is Tracy McGrady.» He went on to list a roster of admired players such as Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, Brandon Ingram, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Doncic and Anthony Edwards. All of them are the premier scoring wings in today’s NBA. 

Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman and ESPN’s Jeremy Woo both projected the 19-year-old as the No. 1 pick to the Washington Wizards. The Big 12 Freshman of the Year measured 6’8.5″ with a 7’0.5″ wingspan and logged the highest vertical jump at the draft combine.

Meanwhile, the Rockets have no immediate plans to trade Durant, even though his first year in Houston ended with social media drama, burner account accusations and an unexcused absence from the bench during the playoffs.

Still, his legacy remains secure. Getting a direct endorsement from college basketball’s top prospect is as good as it gets for a 37-year-old superstar.

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