On the latest episode of Rich Kleiman’s podcast, The Boardroom, the agent was joined by his only NBA client, Kevin Durant, to discuss a variety of topics.
Among them, the emergence of second-year Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic, who has been spectacular this postseason – averaging 29.6 points, 10.0 rebounds and 8.6 assists over five games against an elite opponent in the Los Angeles Clippers – and captured the attention of basketball aficionados everywhere. That includes Durant, who heaped praise on the burgeoning superstar.
On the podcast, Durant said about Doncic:
“I think he’s built to be a star for sure. I think he understands who he is, how he wants to play, and what the future holds for him. Now what that looks like on the marketing side, I think Steve (Stoute) can answer that a little bit better, but as a talent in the NBA? He transcends a lot of things because at that age, to be that smart and and to be that polished it’s just rare.”
Durant would go on to give his best soundbite of the podcast, cutting off Kleiman mid-sentence to describe Doncic in three words:
“Rich Kleiman: ‘So the bottom line is Luka Doncic to me, is…’ Kevin Durant: ‘A (expletive) problem.’ Rich Kleiman: ‘…A problem.’ Kevin Durant: ‘(Laughs) He’s a problem.'”
For Doncic to be getting this much praise from a player with as many accolades as Durant is unsurprising and more than well-earned considering the unreal level he’s performed at against Los Angeles.
In particular, Doncic’s 43-point, 17-rebound, 13-assist, one-game winner performance in Game 4 is one that will likely be talked about in NBA circles for years to come.
Doncic wasn’t the only elite young player Durant gushed about, as the 31-year-old likewise heaped praise on a few other guys who are distinguishing themselves this postseason:
“If you didn’t know the stories and you just watched last night, you would say Donovan Mitchell was on that level too the way he played. Because his game, his aesthetic is something that I feel would resonate with kids all around the world. How he plays, his athleticism, his enthusiasm for the game, his story how he came up. I think there’s a lot of guys in the league going forward that could potentially be signature athletes that right now a lot of people don’t know of. Jamal Murray is going to be… Michael Porter’s down the line… Jayson Tatum… There’s gonna be a lot of signature athletes going forward, signature businesses going forward.”
In all, the NBA appears to be in very good hands with its next generation of stars currently on the come up, and even the league’s top players, like Durant, have taken notice.
Durant touched on a ton of other topics on the podcast, too, including politics, the Black Lives Matter movement, Nas’ new album and much more. Overall, it was a super entertaining listen, one we recommend you check out.