Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant, just like several NBA players today, grew up idolizing the late, great Los Angeles Lakers icon Kobe Bryant. He has spoken about his admiration for the Black Mamba in the past, and he reiterated that adulation for basketball legend in a recent talk on his Twitter Spaces.

Durant recalled his relationship with Kobe and how the former Lakers star tried to open up and reach out to the younger generation despite looking so intimidating.

“Being in the same locker room with him, like I competed against him like that same playoffs, and the way he won the championship too. So we had a different connection compared to a lot of other guys. You know, I played against him on that journey,” Durant narrated.

“His aura was just like a god-like figure. … Like you see someone in the flesh who scored 81 points in an NBA game. It is hard to even speak around him. But he's open and he was always trying to teach and help the younger generation out.”

Kobe Bryant's desire to give back to the younger generation of players were evident during the latter stages of his career and after his retirement. That's why there were all sorts of  Mamba challenges today, with both Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker and Milwaukee Bucks MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo even receiving challenges from the Lakers guard in the past.

While Kobe's tragic passing shocked the world, the rest of the NBA–like Kevin Durant–makes sure his legacy lives on. Bryant is undoubtedly one of the most influential athletes of this generation, and it's safe to say his Mamba Mentality has inspired generations of athletes.

For his part, Kevin Durant also shared recently how the Lakers legend inspires Team USA everyday:

“Kobe Bryant is the guy that all of us looked up to and watched as kids. Even when he was alive and playing, his DNA was embedded in us. From afar, [he] thought us what the game is about, what work ethic is about,” KD said of Kobe.

“Now that he’s not with us no more, we all want to honor his teachings by going out there and playing with that passion, with that energy every single play.”