In budding friendships that no one knew existed, we have Karl “The Mailman” Malone, and OKC Thunder star SF Kevin Durant. In a recent interview with Esquire Magazine, Durant explains that Karl Malone has been a sort of mentor to him, and calls him after bad games.
“I’ve gotten close with Karl Malone, who’s called me numerous times when he can see on TV that I’m struggling, feeling bad after a loss,” Durant said. “He can tell.”
Durant also tries to pay it forward and mentor younger players around the NBA.
“I try to talk to the younger guys. I don’t want to force myself on anybody, so if somebody asks me for some advice, I just try to give it to them as real as I can. Especially high school kids, who are about to enter into this life. I’ve been through so much, even though I’m twenty-five years old, that I can spread some knowledge. And, you know, it feels great just to know that you’re helping, and know that the experiences you’ve been through, even though they were tough, that you can help someone else try to prevent those. Just another voice in the air, to help.”
Durant is really holding true to his self-imposed nickname “the servant,” as his positivity is hard not to notice. Hopefully he can channel all of this good energy into a positive season for his Oklahoma City Thunder.
h/t Slamonline.com