Tucker is relishing the daunting challenge. Tucker will play in his 618th career NBA game when the Houston Rockets host the Golden State Warriors in Game 4 of their second-round playoff series on Monday night. Tucker as the NBA's toughest one-on-one defender for him. But Durants 48 points became the most in a game 7 in NBA postseason history. I knew that defense was my way, but that is where I learned to enjoy it and saw how much of an effect it could have on games. On Thursday, Durant addressed the exchange with Rapaport. Nets star Kevin Durant and Bucks forward P.J. If you are a Nets and Bucks fan that is currently tensed up in your living room, be sure to watch this video to help calm you down. Tucker -- playing hours after having root canals on three teeth he cracked during the Rockets' loss in Game 6 -- went 45 minutes, guarding Durant much of the time, and finished with 14 points, 12 . Both players are around the same height and weight, and both have played for several different teams throughout their careers. Thats why the day seemed so long. However, they were teammates on the 2017-18 Golden State Warriors, so its possible they are at least friendly. I played hard. Fox News Flash top headlines are here. I dont understand all this little stuff. PJ Tucker is a well-known basketball player who has played for various teams throughout his career. There is no definitive answer to this question as the two men have never spoken publicly about their relationship, if any. A Football Management Durant was exposed by Michael Rapaport for using homophobic slurs in a private Instagram conversation. P.J. Youre gonna get thrown out; then we cant play. Tucker. All rights reserved. However, this hasnt stopped Durant from lighting it up in the series. Ive guarded him every year in the playoffs.. During the Nets second-round playoff series against the Milwaukee Bucks last season, he had numerous more interactions with KD. Tucker finally had the last laugh in this long-standing battle with Kevin Durant as the Milwaukee Bucks advance to the Eastern Conference Finals after beating the Brooklyn Nets in Over Time. He told the 36-year-old that he was an NBA All-Star level player as a junior in high school. This season, however, the Semi-finals between the Brooklyn Nets and the Milwaukee Bucks was intense and it all came down to the wire in Game 7. Tucker has two older brothers, Paul and Phillip. Durants mother, Wanda, is a businesswoman. The conversation must have been light-hearted because Tucker said I love you to Kevins mom and she replied in the sweetest way possible showing that the Banter was all in good spirit. Kevin Durant scored 23 points on 10-of-15 shooting in his Suns debut, helping Phoenix snap the Charlotte Hornets' five-game winning streak with a wire-to-wire 105-91 victory Wednesday night. In fact, Tucker not only called Durant the best scorer he has ever seen, but he said he dreamt to be in moments like this guarding one of . Wanda also shared a touching moment with KD after the game, hugging and consoling the player. The NBA's sneaker king talks his new Dolce&Gabbana collab, wrestling with Kevin Durant, and the challenges of shopping in Milwaukee. He doesnt have a position. I knew I could play. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Chris Paul added 11 assists. The 63-year-old NBA icon, who appears in Coke Zero Sugar's March Madness campaign, tells PEOPLE that the idea of star players sitting out, with the intention of . Report this user for behavior that violates our Community Guidelines. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. the belief in Brooklyn was that Simmons was set up for greatness playing alongside elite scorers Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. His three All-Defensive First Team selections in 2014 and 2016 make him an All-Defensive First Team member for three straight years. Yet he had seven turnovers and wasn't as unstoppable as he was in Game 5 when he exploded for a 49-point . I was done fighting, trying to prove myself, Tucker said. The Battle may have come to an end, but both teams put up a great show of basketball and gave the world of basketball a treat to watch. When a prospective freshman named Kevin Durant visited the Austin campus, . PJ Tucker planned to spend the rest of his NBA career with the Miami Heat, but business got in the way. Tucker, who plays for the Milwaukee Bucks, told TMZ Sports on Wednesday that hes on Durants side. Rockets coach Mike DAntoni said his team won Game 3 because of Tucker, who had 7 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 blocks. Given the stakes at hand this series, both Durant and Tucker wereinvolved in some chippy scuffles throughout. Who are Kevin and Tucker friends? He will be playing alongside Devin Booker, a player he has been following since college. October 30, 2021 10:43 am ET. Aldridge played for the Longhorns from 2002-2006, while Durant played for the Longhorns from 2006-2007. Is Luka Doncics Health At Risk? Every coach in the country wanted to sign the nations second-best player to their college program. You are going to come back and tell me, I wish I wouldve handled it different. Im trying to tell them about the sacrifice now because I did that.. wo Longhorns went nose to nose Thursday night, and Draymond Green was amused by the whole scene. When LaMarcus Aldridge agreed to a buyout with the San Antonio Spurs last week, Kevin Durant moved quickly to ensure that they had not had another missed opportunity 15 years from now. Most of the guys who think like that dont last over there. If NBA broadcasters ever wanted to offer an uncensored, mic'd-up option to watch entire games, people would . The Milwaukee Bucks were led by Giannis Antekounmpos 40 points in the second half. The Nets, of course, lost to the Bucks in the last seconds of the game. Im living my dream right now guarding Kevin Durant in the NBA playoffs.. Did yall just see security run on the court? Who Is Keith Appling, Former NBA Player Accused of Second Degree Murder? He played one season of college basketball for the University of Texas at Austin, where he was named the National Player of the Year. Kevin Durant's mom, Wanda, starred in a heated and hilarious exchange with PJ Tucker during Game 7 of the Brooklyn Nets-Milwaukee Bucks series. However, based on their interactions on social media and at public events, it appears that they are at least on good terms with one another. Always free! Kevin Durant and PJ Tucker had a contentious relationship. this is the playoffs man. A mic'd-up P.J. PJ Tucker on his relationship with Kevin Durant: Every year, we have a fight. The Suns are +450 to win a championship. PJ Tucker and Kevin Durant are two professional basketball players who have played together on multiple teams throughout their careers. PJ made it clear that he loves going against KD, constantly pushing each other on the court. [ad_1] JIMMY BUTLER INTERRUPTED his pregame warmup and made a beeline toward half court. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, The most hyped prospect since the 2003 draft class was Kevin Durant. Please check your email for a confirmation. He said he thinks about his gamble all the time and remembers guarding then-Oklahoma City star forward Kevin Durant during his first start on Dec. 31, 2012. Kevin Durant and P.J. I played both ends of the court. PJ continued telling reporters about the respect he has for Durant. She is very proud of her son and all that he has accomplished. Log into your account. But Durant got the better of Tucker in game 7 and scored 48 points. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. You have to learn how to play over there. It keeps me strong. Trending 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. He told his mother that the city has been great to him and his family. NBA Playoffs: Is Chris Paul playing in Game 1 vs the Los Angeles Clippers? He told Tucker he believed he could have a place in the NBA as a primary defender. Tucker was a freshman when Durant was a sophomore and the two formed a formidable partnership on the court. Golden State Warriors Kevin Durant (35) passes the ball against the Houston Rockets PJ Tucker (17) during the fourth quarter of a NBA game at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif., on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019. I tell them, Youre going to remember this when youre on that bus in Europe, that you have older guys trying to help you see through this, and you wouldnt see that. The camera was on Tucker and Durants mom, Wanda, who was not too pleased about the foul on her son. The playoffs this year have been a roller-coaster ride. 0:00. Because hes happy to be here., P.J. I got him a few times like real, like some tough hits. However, since joining the NBA, the duo has faced each other on several big occasions. KDs mom was seen shooting words at Tucker for hurting her son. Tucker a stage play. Tucker. journalistic experience with Chase Your Sport and Dribl. Brooklyn received unprotected picks in 2023, 2025 . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google. P.J. Who Is Mikal Bridges Girlfriend Grainger Rosati? I said I love you mom and she right in stride, she says I love you too. By the summer of 2012, Tucker was making a comfortable living for himself overseas and signed a two-year contract paying at least $2 million with BC Spartak St. Petersburg of Russia. But he will play it as if it were his last. As an NBA player, Tucker was never able to play with Kevin Durant at the University of Texas; he chose to leave for the NBA just before the All-Star arrived. Saturday was an important day for the Brooklyn Nets and the Milwaukee Bucks, as the winner of Game 7 would officially move on to the Eastern Conference Finals. In fact, Tucker never got to play with Durant at Texas, instead going to the NBA just before the All-Star arrived. Dan Majerle was already one of my favorite players. Tonight, Kevin Durant will take the floor for the first time as . I dont know if Ive ever brought that much every single night, physically, emotionally, it was a toll. But now that Rapaport exposed Durant on social media, in the social justice conscious NBA, what -- if any -- will be the league's reaction. Then-Suns general manager Lance Blanks offered Tucker a non-guaranteed training camp invite during summer league play. Author: When a prospective freshman named Kevin Durant visited the Austin campus, however, Tucker felt his . . Im living my dream. , The #Bucks were able to sneak out a 3-point victory over the #Nets to make it a 2-1 series.pic.twitter.com/8Gysk4Dk3q, Designated Report (@DesignatedRpt) June 11, 2021. Tucker latches onto Kevin Durant every time both men step onto the hardwood together. . My wife just had my son. 02/16 . The Durant era in Phoenix got off to solid start Wednesday night with the 13-time NBA All-Star scoring 23 points on 10-of-15 shooting, adding an Chavez/MediaNews Group/The Mercury News via Getty Images. Still, the best-case scenario if Tucker made the Suns was a $762,195 minimum salary a pay cut of more than $1 million from what he would have earned in Russia. Emailed daily. Tucker of the Milwaukee Bucks during the second half of Game 4 of the Eastern Conference second round playoff series at the Fiserv Forum on . 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Tucker has always . In the 2017-18 NBA season, Durant . USA TODAY. And he was a fan favorite in Milwaukee despite not being a regular starter initially. Tucker exchange words during the second half of Game 3 of the Eastern Conference second-round playoff series at the Fiserv Forum on June 10, 2021 . After P.J. Dan told me, I want you to get the best player on every team and shut them down, Tucker said. I don't look at myself or my status in the league that I can't go through what other players in the league go through." Alcorn State. Tucker put everything he had into his battle with Brooklyn Nets superstar Kevin Durant. You cant help but smile after watching that light-hearted interaction. Me and Kevin fight every year I love guarding him. When Kevin asked for a trade after requesting one, Kyrie knew the stakes were raised, and hes worked diligently ever since to stay on top of things. KD and P.J. Getty Brooklyn's Kevin Durant and Milwaukee's P.J. We gt fac to fac. Miami Heat forward P.J. I cant wait to guard Kevin Durant. So, I was talking crazy, and she was like I was in him (Durant), Tucker told JJ Redick. Tucker found some time to have some fun. He has had a successful career since leaving Austin, having been a three-time All-Star and a two-time NBA Most Valuable Player since returning there. Kevin and Kyrie have been close friends since their days together, as they have both been through rough times. You dream about being in the playoffs and guarding the best player in the world. During the third quarter, Tucker fouled Nets star Kevin Durant, sending him to the free-throw line. PJ Tucker and Kevin Durants mom share a few words and some laughs , : @HoHighlights pic.twitter.com/9XmpWc6mOM, USA TODAY NBA (@usatodaynba) June 20, 2021. You can really change games that way.. While his agent Andre Buck put an NBA out clause in the deal, Tucker was content being a star overseas. Tucker delightfully complimented Kevin Durant after getting scored on. In fact, Tucker not only called Durant the best scorer he has ever seen, but he said he dreamt to be in moments like this guarding one of the best players in the world on the biggest stage of basketball. Kevin Durant and P.J. Shes going at me and I hear her. Tucker (17) reacts after a play against the Boston Celtics during the third quarter of Game 5 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals series at FTX Arena in Miami on May 25, 2022. Im not backing down from nothing. Seven years later, Tucker is still in the NBA and guarding Durant. After coming back from a 28-point deficit on Friday, Mikal Bridges feels that offense isn't the issue for the Nets. Tucker finally had the last laugh in this long-standing battle with Kevin Durant as the Milwaukee Bucks advance to the Eastern Conference Finals . Its crazy., Said Buck: We took a chance. Kevin Durant is one of the leagues most talented players, and his best friend, Kyrie Irving, is also one of the leagues most talented players. There aren't many guys who can get under Durant's skin when he has the ball in his hands. Tucker played for the Cleveland Cavaliers summer league team in 2007, but no NBA contract offers followed. I enjoy it; hes the best scorer Ive ever seen in my life Thats my brother. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Obviously Durant didn't see Draymond's tweet, but the Nets star immediately hit two big 3-pointers, with the second shot tying the game 57-57. A player like Kevin, theres no time off, you cant relax for one second. Earlier in the quarter, Draymond tweeted about the night Durant was having. LeBron James: Spoiled Or Inspiring Role Model? Alex Hinton breaks down his top NBA player prop picks for Wednesday, March 1, including plays on Donovan Mitchell and Jimmy Butler. Chris Paul won the Olympic gold medal with Chris Paul in 2012. Now d it again. PJ Tucker appeared on Iman Shumperts podcast two years ago. The guys that are trying to make it and the G League guys coming up, I try to help them as much as possible, Tucker said. Kevin Durant and PJ Tucker are alumni of the same college in Texas. Durant will make his Phoenix Suns debut on Wednesday night, and one of the more anticipated experiments in the NBA this season will get off the ground. WATCH THIS STORY: Butting Heads with LeBron James & All the Other Times Kevin Durant Showed His Anger. It was tough being away from home, Tucker said.