Every coach in the country wanted to sign the nations second-best player to their college program. There, Utah Jazz swingman Joe Ingles stood, watched and waited as the All-Star closed in.Butler's mission: peace.At this point, the quick wits, sharp tongues and competitive fires of both Butler and Ingles had been clashing for . USA TODAY. During the interview, he revealed what exactly did he say to Kevin Durants mom during game 7 of Nets vs Bucks. Seven years later, Tucker is still in the NBA and guarding Durant. Author: 291 replies 641 retweets 4,763 likes. that peaked in the third quarter when a pair of former texas longhorns got tangled, as kevin durant and pj tucker came face to face to have words from a very close proximity after tucker got. "The Snake himself is now threatening me, bringing up my wife and wants to fight. NBA player P.J. wo Longhorns went nose to nose Thursday night, and Draymond Green was amused by the whole scene. "I'm not the first one to get traded or ask for a trade. Legal Statement. During the third quarter of the game, P.J. Tucker (17) in the first quarter during game seven in the second round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs at Barclays Center. F inal. Kevin Durant and PJ Tucker got right into each other's faces. He writes about about basketball news, tips, NBA teams and more. That was one of the worst years of my life, Tucker said. Log into your account. Yet he had seven turnovers and wasn't as unstoppable as he was in Game 5 when he exploded for a 49-point . In addition to winning two titles with Portland in 2015 and 2015, he won two Finals Most Valuable Player awards in 2015 and 2017, a scoring title in 2015, and a regular-season Most Valuable Player award in 2015. It is impossible to overestimate the friendship between Kyrie and Kevin. I was done, man. From 2007-12, Tucker played in Israel, Ukraine, Italy, Greece, Montenegro, Puerto Rico, Germany and Russia. WATCH THIS STORY: Butting Heads with LeBron James & All the Other Times Kevin Durant Showed His Anger. Brooklyn received unprotected picks in 2023, 2025 . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google. Tucker finally had the last laugh in this long-standing battle with Kevin Durant as the Milwaukee Bucks advance to the Eastern Conference Finals . And . He claimed to be an NBA All-Star level player during his high school career as a forward for the Milwaukee Bucks and Houston Rocketes. />. Id rather be here than be the last man on the bench in the NBA and never have a chance. graduate, he has previously interned in the Indian Super League, I-League and 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. 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. Tucker Q&A: Bucks Trade, Guarding James Harden and More The new Milwaukee forward opens up to The Crossover about getting traded and playing with Giannis Antetokounmpo. While Tucker fully expected to play in Russia in the fall of 2012, he accepted an offer from the Phoenix Suns to play for their summer league team. The former Houston Rockets had incredible duels . Kelly Olynyk, Full Spectrum Services LLP 2022 | All Rights Reserved. Kevin Durant and PJ Tucker got right into each other's faces. You come from the college, youre the man. If NBA broadcasters ever wanted to offer an uncensored, mic'd-up option to watch entire games, people would . Despite what it looks like on the court, PJ Tucker had nothing but good things to say about his rival Kevin Durant. 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 . Brooklyn leads the series two-games-to-one with Game 4 scheduled for Sunday in Milwaukee. Tucker have faced off multiple times over the years especially in the playoffs. Tucker, who plays for the Milwaukee Bucks, told TMZ Sports on Wednesday that hes on Durants side. PJ Tucker and Kevin Durant are two professional basketball players who have played together on multiple teams throughout their careers. They went at it every single game, showing their competitive spirits in every single game. Kevin Durant also addressed Tuckers physicality earlier in this series when asked if he thought it too aggressive. Durant and Tucker each were assessed technical fouls for the kerfuffle. Vote For Luka Doni To Make The 2020 NBA All-Star Team! We gt fac to fac. The friendship between Tucker and Durant is a testament to the power of college basketball. Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Id rather be the man in Europe and win that respect. Tucker has had minimal success guarding Kevin Durant, it will be interesting to see if Antetokounmpo will attempt to go star-on . 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." Tucker has worked hard all series to get to Kevin Durant on the defensive end. Tucker play so hard? However, it wasnt enough as the Nets crashed out of the series by losing 115111 in overtime. Guarding Kevin Durant is an impossible thing to do. Everybody dreams about scoring 30, getting the game-winner. Durant, of course, previously played with the Golden State Warriors, who faced Tucker and the Rockets in the past two NBA playoffs. The Controversy Surrounding LeBron Jamess Instruction To His Mother During A Post-Game Press Conference: An Analysis, The Phenomenal Polyglot: Uncovering LeBron James Multilingualism, Uncovering The Remarkable PPG Of Lebron James: Exploring His Incomparable Offensive Prowess, The King Of The Court: An Ode To LeBron James And His Record-Breaking Career, The Phenomenal LeBron James Matt: 35 Years Of Inspiration And Success. But I didnt know what it meant to be a pro.. Tucker has always . PJ Tucker and Kevin Durant were teammates during their college days at the University of Texas. Tucker, and the two former Texas Longhorns had words for each other. Yall stand there and I turn around. During the third quarter, Tucker fouled Nets star Kevin Durant, sending him to the free-throw line. And he was a fan favorite in Milwaukee despite not being a regular starter initially. Durant and Rapaport have had a relationship in the past. over the years where the two get into it during games. A foundation of success and high performance had been set.. But Durant got the better of Tucker in game 7 and scored 48 points. KDs mom was seen shooting words at Tucker for hurting her son. Tucker is relishing the daunting challenge. Kevin Durant and PJ Tucker are alumni of the same college in Texas. Tucker was drafted in the year (2006), and in the same year, Kevin Durant became the freshman at the University of Texas. You feel like youre better than anybody. He will be playing alongside Devin Booker, a player he has been following since college. Please check your email for a confirmation. But Bucks forward P.J. However, the Longhorns are different. The Milwaukee Bucks were led by Giannis Antekounmpos 40 points in the second half. Alex Hinton breaks down his top NBA player prop picks for Wednesday, March 1, including plays on Donovan Mitchell and Jimmy Butler. Returning to the court after recovering from a knee injury . They are extremely close friends and are devoted to one another. P.J. However, this hasn't stopped Durant from lighting it up in the series. Carlos Garcia, Game 7 6/20/2021. Chavez/MediaNews Group/The Mercury News via Getty Images. There is still uncertainty about whether or not Kyrie Irving will play in Game Seven on Wednesday, but he is expected to. 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 . Josef Castillo is a basketball coach and the owner of a basketball blog called bashabearsbasketball.com. K is having a miserable night! This league has gotten so soft, security ran on the court , Wait. Giannis Antetokounmpo Injury Update: Will Giannis Play in the All-Star Game? Who are Kevin and Tucker friends? Tucker is averaging 3.4 personal fouls per game during the series and accumulated five while guarding Durant last night. Tucker is siding with Brooklyn Nets starKevin Durant. PJ Tucker recently appeared in an interview on JJ Redicks YouTube channel. 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. I was comfortable with it. You can really change games that way.. Tucker fouled Kevin Durant and sent him to the free-throw line. 90. I got successful. Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Interest-Based Ads | EU Privacy Rights | Cookie Policy | Manage Preferences. All rights reserved. The playoffs this year have been a roller-coaster ride. Trust me. Shes going at me and I hear her. He out there tackling them. Im still persevering through to make it so guys that are like me can have that lane to say, I can do it, said Tucker, who played in all 82 games in each of the past two NBA regular seasons. 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. Tucker and Kevin Durants mom exchanged some words in a light-hearted moment during Game 7 on Saturday. 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. I take pride in it. He said he learned how to play professional basketball while overseas. Tucker have been going head to head for years now, especially in the Playoffs. (Durants) like, stop fighting with Blake. There has been happiness, tears, injuries, clutch moments, fights and even record-breaking games, but the spirit of the game and the love has been what matters at the end of the day. (Benny Sieu / USA Today) For Tucker, going against Durant was the reward for everything he had gone . During the third quarter, Tucker fouled Nets star Kevin Durant, sending him to the free-throw line. Welcome! "It's basketball. I got the utmost respect for Kevin, Tucker said. Tucker. They didnt need me. Durants mother, Wanda, is a businesswoman. However, during game 7 of the Nets vs Bucks last season, Tucker was involved in a famous trash-talking incident with Durants mom Wanda Durant. His three All-Defensive First Team selections in 2014 and 2016 make him an All-Defensive First Team member for three straight years. Im fighting for every inch. The man deserves a raise. Tucker is siding with Kevin Durant. Legal Statement. My first start was against KD and OKC. Vote For Luka Doni To Make The 2020 NBA All-Star Team! They helped the Longhorns reach the NCAA tournament in 2006 and 2007, with Durant being named the tournaments Most Outstanding Player in 2007. Durant will need to show up big again, as the Nets have already ruled out Kyrie Irving and James Harden is clearly not playing like himself as he has only scored 14 points combined in his two games back. Grown men. James Harden has also been shaky for the Nets since coming back from injury faster than expected. Tucker and Kevin Durant's mom exchanged some words in a light-hearted moment during Game 7 on Saturday. The two were cursing and throwing insults at each other and the former NBA MVP called Rapaport a "fkin pale ck sucker.". Tucker incident, Nets security guard tied to Kevin Durant is suspended for rest of series - Joe Vardon, Eric Nehm . Tucker. Tucker was so intense that even KD's mom had to step in and call him out after a hard foul. 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 . Kevin Durant and PJ Tucker are alumni of the same college in Texas. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. No, no, no, not me. I made my way overseas. CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) 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. Bettors are focusing on the latter. It was both a heated and hilarious exchange between Tucker and Wanda at the same time. Twelve years ago, he thought hed already played in his last game in the NBA when he was waived as a rookie in Toronto. NBA Rising All-Stars Game 2023: Who Is Playing and Where to Watch? I got drafted by Toronto, but they just took me because I was the best man on the board. Throughout the series, Tucker has been a constant thorn in Durants side on the defensive end. Tucker and Durant were engaged in a serious duel throughout the series. Dallas Mavericks Star Struggles In Playoffs And Fans Worry, LeBron James: Building A Legacy Of Empowerment And Hope Through I Promise, The Resilience Of Love: A Look At LeBron & Savannahs Timeless Relationship. Wanda Durant wasn't happy with that and yelled at the player, telling him to play basketball. Most of the guys who think like that dont last over there. He writes about about basketball news, tips, NBA teams and more. Im not backing down from nothing. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. The friendship between Tucker and Durant is a testament to the power of college basketball.