The Golden State Warriors are set to take on the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night at Staples Center where Kobe Bryant will have both his No. 8 and 24 jerseys retired by his former team.

It has provided a chance for Kevin Durant to reflect on his interactions with the future Hall of Famer during their respective careers. According to Mark Medina of The Mercury News, Durant voiced on Saturday that he's most proud of beating Bryant in the Western Conference semifinals in 2012 NBA playoffs.

“That was a proud moment. I was playing so well then finally beat his team in the playoffs. Beforehand, they had eliminated us in the first round. I can say that I'm 1-1 against Kobe in the playoffs. Not too many people can say that. He does have five championships, but other than that was personally a good moment for me.

Related NewsArticle continues below
Neal McDonough, who believes Boston will beat the New York Knicks in Game 7, at Celtics-Heat game.
Exclusive: Celtics fan Neal McDonough’s bold Game 7 prediction for Knicks series
Adidas AE 2, Anthony Edwards, Adidas
Anthony Edwards, Adidas unveil the Adidas AE 2

It was a convincing series win for Durant and the Thunder, beating Bryant and the Lakers in five games en route to an NBA Finals appearance. He led the way performing at a high level averaging 26.8 points on 51.6 percent shooting from the field along with 39.1 percent from beyond the arc with 8.6 rebounds per contest. This included scoring at least 25 points in each game while shooting better than 50 percent in four out of the five games played.

Meanwhile, Bryant did also put together some highly productive games in the series averaging 31.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.6 steals per. He posted at least 20 points in each contest while scoring at least 35 points in the last three games topped by 42 in Game 5. This proved to be the last time that Bryant would appear in the postseason in his illustrious 20-year career.

Ultimately, this is a personal moment that Durant has continued to cherish getting past Bryant, who he holds much respect and admiration toward. Monday night will provide another opportunity for Durant to publicly show that again.