Kevin Durant recalls Kobe Bryant's fatherly demeanor as he shares sweet moment from NBA All-Star Weekend

Kevin Durant joined the NBA's 30,000-point club as the 8th entrant as the Phoenix Suns played the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday. The "Slim Reaper" has been one of the league's most consistent scorers ever since he was drafted by the Seattle Supersonics and his talent has always been apparent, even to the greats of the game.

During this joyful moment, Kevin Durant reflected on his second-ever All-Star appearance, where the late Kobe Bryant introduced him as one of the greatest scorers in history. At just 22 years old, KD was beginning to make his mark, and receiving such high praise from a legend already recognized in that realm was significant for the young OKC player.

He smiled while reminiscing about the 2011 All-Star weekend in Los Angeles and his connection with Bryant.

"Kob was always trying to son me when I was around him, and then to other people he'd big me up and talk me up. That's the type of relationship we had," KD said. "And I knew he respected my game. I knew that he prepared for me in the correct way everytime we played."

"He watched film, he made sure he was locked in when we played, and that's enough respect. That's all I really needed to know that my game was on the way up," Durant reminisced, when asked about being anointed as one of the game's greatest scorers by Kobe, early on in his career.

Any young player wishes to earn the respect of accomplished peers and Kevin Durant's performances gave him that opportunity from the early days of his career. KD was a scoring phenomenon that had skyrocketed to become the league scoring leader by 2010 and he held on to the title in four separate instances. Having an icon in Kobe Bryant sign off on his profile would have only proved to be additional motivation for a star on the ascension at that point in NBA history.

---

Kevin Durant finds himself around 3,500 points away from Kobe Bryant on the NBA's All-Time scoring list

Durant described Kobe Bryant's fatherly affection and appreciation from the Lakers legend, so comparing their scoring records is inevitable. KD isn't too far away from breaking into the late NBA legend's territory on the NBA's all-time scoring list. Bryant ended his career with 33,643 points, about 3,500 away from KD's 30008.

The duo, who played together for Team USA in the gold medal-winning 2012 squad, represent two archetypes of NBA scorers. Kobe Bryant stood as the benchmark for meticulous precision and hard work. At the same time, Kevin Durant remains one of the most unique profiles ever, with a reputation for making scoring look natural and artistic.

Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant in 2008. (Credits: Getty)

Durant has averaged 27.3 points per game for his career, as opposed to Bryant, who averaged 25.0 points per game. With KD showing no alarming signs of regression, one would expect him to beat Kobe Bryant's scoring statistics when he hangs up his boots.

Having won Bryant's respect early, the "Silent Reaper" has lived up to the hype Bryant created around his talent as early as 2011, despite severe injuries threatening his career for a while. In the same bracket as LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Dirk Nowitzki and Wilt Chamberlain now, having reached the 30,000 club, Durant is a certified bucket getter and one can expect to see him continue at it for a couple of seasons more at the least. Age is but a number for talent like Kevin Durant.