New York Knicks rookie big man Kristaps Porzingis immediately created impact in the National Basketball Association (NBA) this season and now even Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant is a fan.
Ahead of Tuesday's showdown between both teams, in which the Thunder won in overtime 128–122, Durant expressed admiration for the game of Porzingis.
"When they made the pick, I texted Fish [Knicks head coach Derek Fisher] immediately and said 'I like this kid, he can play.' A lot of people were down on him, but he can play," Durant told reporters, according to ESPN.
The former Most Valuable Player (MVP) then added that Porzingis, who is from Latvia, is a skilled player.
Durant continued, "He can shoot, he can make the right plays, he can defend, he's a 7-footer that can shoot all the way out to the 3-point line. That's rare. And block shots — that's like a unicorn in this league."
A lot of fans were disappointed when the Knicks selected Porzingis fourth overall in the 2015 NBA Draft.
But the 20-year-old rookie easily meshed with the team and is playing well this season, becoming one of the faces of the franchise along with veteran All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony.
Porzingis is averaging 14 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and two blocks in 28.2 minutes of action in 47 regular season games played.
In the Knicks' loss to Oklahoma City, Porzingis tallied 15 points, five rebounds, two assists, one steal, and two blocks in 31 minutes.
Meanwhile, Durant led the Thunder with 44 points, 14 rebounds, five assists, and one steal, playing 43 minutes.
The loss to the Thunder pulled down Porzingis and the Knicks to the 10th spot in the Eastern Conference with a 22–25 record, with the defeat also their third consecutive.
Oklahoma City, on the other hand, continued to take a solo hold of the third spot in the Western Conference standings with a 34–13 record.
