黑料福利社

A friendship that began months ago in Miami rekindled earlier this week in Los Angeles when NBA superstar Kevin Durant sat courtside at Arena to watch his prodigy and sensation .

It was an uncharacteristically subdued performance from the second-year center who scored a season-low two points on 1-for-10 shooting while collecting nine rebounds and committing five turnovers during an .

Afterward, they reconnected for the first time since March when Malonga played in the Unrivaled 3-on-3 women鈥檚 basketball league for the Breeze.

鈥淲e chatted a little bit after the game, and I just texted him after the game and asked him to come to practice,鈥� Malonga said. 鈥淗e nicely said yes and came and just showed me one or two things.鈥�

Following the Storm鈥檚 workout at USC on Tuesday, Durant instructed Malonga through a series of drills and divulged the secrets on his trademark pullup midrange jumper.

鈥淚t's just amazing to have KD in my corner,鈥� Malonga said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just really nice to have advice from one of the greatest. He's just a really great (person) that's really willing to pour into me, and so I'm really grateful for that.鈥�

It鈥檚 understandable that Durant developed a fondness for Malonga considering they share several similarities.

They were both 19-year-old phenoms taken No. 2 overall in the draft by professional basketball teams in Seattle. Durant was selected by the Sonics in 2007 and played one season in the Emerald City before the franchise relocated to Oklahoma City; Malonga is in her second season with the Storm.

They鈥檙e tall and lanky. Durant, who is nicknamed the Slim Reaper, is 6-foot-11 and 240 pounds, while Malonga is 6-6. He has a 7-5 wingspan and hers is 7-1.

And they鈥檙e exceptionally gifted basketball players with a unique skill set.

The 37-year-old Durant, who ranks fifth on the NBA鈥檚 career scoring list, is one of the league鈥檚 all-time great shooters, especially for his size.

Meanwhile, the 20-year-old Malonga has captivated fans with her extraordinary athleticism that allows her to routinely dunk in practice and pregame warmups.

She hasn鈥檛 flushed in a WNBA game, but Durant was on hand when she threw down a dunk during a Breeze game on Feb. 27, which may have sparked their friendship.

A month later, he stopped by a Breeze practice, met Malonga for the first time and shared tips while coaching her through shooting drills.

When asked the best advice Durant gave, Malonga said: 鈥淭o concentrate on the way I use my feet and just being low. I constantly have to remind myself to stay low because it鈥檚 not natural for tall people.鈥�

Durant鈥檚 latest practice visit was the same day the WNBA announced the 12 All-Star reserves, which included Malonga, who received her first invitation to the summer showcase on July 25 at the United Center in Chicago.

Despite missing eight games due to a concussion, it鈥檚 been a breakout season for Malonga, who is averaging 15.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.2 blocks while shooting 46.5% from the field and 37.9% on three-pointers.

She was a role player who came off the bench in 42 games last year, and now Malonga is quickly becoming the face of the franchise that also features rookie standouts Flau鈥檍ae Johnson and Awa Fam.

Malonga, who is the third-youngest All-Star in league history, is the 12^th Storm player to ever be selected.

鈥淭o be honest, I just wanted to win as many games as possible with this team and I didn't even set individual goal,鈥� Malonga said. 鈥淚 didn't want to put pressure on myself with any individual distinctions. I just wanted to be good for this team, and I'm just really glad that wanting to win so badly got me into this position because I knew that me being good will help the team win.

鈥淚 really went into the season knowing that we are rebuilding and we were starting something new. And I just wanted to be good for the program and just showing my best self.鈥�

It鈥檚 way too early to say Malonga will develop into a future Hall of Famer like Durant, but she鈥檚 thankful for his tutelage and often thinks about his coaching tips.

鈥淒on鈥檛 force anything,鈥� Malonga said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 the main thing we talk about. 鈥� He tells me I'm a natural scorer and the game is going to come at me. So, don't force anything. Just play free and play hard.鈥�

Note

鈥� The Storm (6-18) continue their five-game road trip and wrap up a three-game regular-season series with the Washington Mystics (10-10) at noon PT Sunday at the CareFirst Arena. Seattle split a couple of home games versus Washington in May, including a 97-85 win and a 78-64 defeat.