The NBA Draft combine is taking place this week, giving NBA prospects the chance to showcase their strength and agility both on and off the court, or as Kevin Durant sees it - a complete and total waste of time.
KD spoke with ESPN on Wednesday at the Warriors' practice facility and recalled his experience at the combine in 2007.
Per ESPN,
“I remember it like it was yesterday,” Durant said, as he readjusted his body to get comfortable in his seat.
“All the strength coaches were laughing at me and shit. They were giggling with each other that I couldn’t lift 185 pounds, and I was like, ‘All right, keep laughing. Keep laughing.’ It was a funny thing, because I was the only one that couldn’t lift it and I was struggling to lift it. I was embarrassed at that point, but I’m like, ‘Give me a basketball, please. Give me a ball.'”
"I knew nobody in that draft could guard me one-on-one," Durant said.
"I knew that for sure. I knew that. And I knew that you don't need to [bench-press] to lift a basketball up. And I knew that this wasn't football, where that stuff matters. I knew as a basketball player I had a lot of skill, more skill than anybody in the draft. And I knew that if I worked as hard as I could, then that s--- wouldn't matter at the end of the day. It still doesn't matter. I was ranked the last person in camp, drills-wise. I was the worst player, and the first player didn't get drafted. That tells you a lot about the significance of that shit."
There are a handful of lottery picks, including Lonzo Ball, Jayson Tatum, Josh Jackson and Malik Monk, who will be skipping the draft combine this year, something that Durant says he would've done if he had "known the power I had."
KD's advice for potential draft prospects is simple.
"Stay your ass home, work out and get better on your own time."
You can check out the full story about Durant's take on the NBA Draft combine right here.