"I can transform from like Kobe to Hakeem to Shaq" - Kevin Durant responds to Joel Embiid's praise, says Embiid is a "bi**h to play against"

Philadelphia 76ers superstar Joel Embiid is having a monster season. The five-time All-Star is averaging 29.8 points and 11.2 rebounds per game, shooting 49.2%.

The 7-foot big man from Cameroon is the front-runner for MVP award this season, with Nikola Jokic, and Giannis Antetokounmpo the closest competitors.

As the much-awaited game between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Brooklyn Nets nears, Brooklyn Nets superstar Kevin Durant had this to say Thursday on "The ETCs" podcast:

"That's really what sports is, when you feel excited about a regular season game, that's how you can tell these two teams – good teams, first off, but, you know, got a chance to be there at the end, you know – when you get excited about a matchup this late in the season."

The two stars, Joel Embiid and Kevin Durant, will go head-to-head for the fourth time this season. The 76ers are 1-2 against the Nets, winning their last matchup 110-102. During that game, Embiid waved off Durant after a heated exchange between the two.

While things might heat up on the court, off it, both Durant and Embiid have had nothing but praise for each other.

Durant said this of his rival:

"When you see somebody you admire, respect ... and to see his game grow, you can appreciate that as a fan and then when you play against him, you know he's going to make you step up to another level, too, so, it's a fun dynamic, but it's a bi**h to play against.

"He said something where he was like I can transform from like Kobe (Bryant) to Hakeem (Olajuwon) to Shaq (O'Neal) ... and I was like, 'Yo, you're telling the truth.'"

The wait for Kevin Durant ends

Durant in his first game back against the Heat

Durant returned to the NBA on March 3, scoring 31 points in a 113-107 loss to the Miami Heat.

Durant had been out since Jan. 15, when he sprained the MCL in his left knee after Bruce Brown of the New Orleans Pelicans bumped into him.

Since his return, in pure Durant fashion, he's already had two games with 30-plus points. However, Brooklyn lost both of those games.

Durant also crossed the 25,000 mark for points and became the seventh-fastest to do so in the loss against the Celtics.

Because of the vaccine-mandate in New York City, unvaccinated Nets guard Kyrie Irving remains able to play only in games outside of NYC. He can play just five more games, including the game at Philadelphia on Thursday, in the regular season. But Durant's return and Ben Simmons' eventual debut could propel the Nets into a late-season surge.

The Nets (33-33) are eighth in the Eastern Conference with 16 games remaining. They are 5.5 games behind the sixth-place Cleveland Cavaliers (38-27). Should they catch the surprising Cavs, Brooklyn would avoid the play-in tournament, which will be played April 12-15.