Kevin Durant on how he started to acknowledge LeBron James's legacy: "I truly appreciate somebody who's been in this s#!t for a long time"

Kevin Durant, one of the most prolific scorers the league has ever seen. He's also a 17th year veteran, which makes him one the oldests guys in the NBA right now. One of the oldest guys who are actually still playing at an incredible level. In a recent interview, the 35-year-old star reflected about longevity and of course, just as longevity is mentioned , it's clear that LeBron James was in the same sentence.

Phoenix Suns' superstar, Kevin Durant, shared his honest appreciation for one of his toughest rivals throughout his whole career. KD has been battling LeBron since he joined the league, back in 2007. They faced each other in three NBA Finals, and there's no doubt how much respect these players have for each other.

In an interview with Boardroom, Durant took a time to explain how much he values the love that the Los Angeles Lakers star shows for basketball:

"When he was on his 14/15th year I was yeah OK, when he was on his 17/18th year I thought that was kinda dope, but when you're 39, in your 20th year, and like half of your life is in the league, and you've played against 40% of the players that ever played in the league...that longevity has to mean something, that has to be a standard."

"If you trully really wanna know what greatness is like; of course you gotta accumulate championships in a short amount of time, and accolades in a short amount of time...but I truly appreciate somebody who's been in that s#!t for a long time."

"He's consistency is showing up, he showed up, and that's what I appreciate of LeBron, and that I overlooked and underestimated it when it comes to him. His enthusiasm and the love for the game of basketball...and is that simple, there's nothing more than that," concluded the two-time Champion and Finals MVP.