Syracuse Basketball: 4-star commit details closeness with Kevin Durant

Other than his dad, new Syracuse basketball 2022 commit Chris Bunch says that his role model is NBA superstar Kevin Durant, according to a recent interview that Bunch conducted with Pro Insight.

The 6-foot-7 Bunch, a four-star wing and a top-60 prospect in his cycle according to 247Sports, recently gave a verbal commitment to the Orange. He picked the ‘Cuse over other finalists Washington, which is led by Mike Hopkins, and Rutgers.

Bunch is a senior at the powerhouse Wasatch Academy in Mount Pleasant, Utah, which should be among the nation’s elite prep-school squads during the upcoming campaign.

As a junior, Bunch competed for De La Salle High School in Concord, Calif. Per media reports, his hometown is in Oklahoma City. Durant, who plays for the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets, previously suited up for the Oklahoma City Thunder for numerous seasons. He is an NBA champion, an NBA Finals MVP and a regular-season MVP.

Syracuse basketball commit Chris Bunch talks about his relationship with Kevin Durant.

In the interview with Pro Insight, Bunch discussed a range of topics. One question that was asked of him centered around how he is close with Durant.

"Here’s what Bunch had to say in response. “Other than my dad, that’s my role model. That’s the person I model my game after, like, that’s my uncle. That’s who I look up to. Every single day I’m just striving to get where he is. If I can be half as good as he is, I’d be okay with that.”"

This is some pretty cool stuff. Durant is one of the two or three best players in the NBA today, at least in my opinion. When he retires down the line, Durant will be considered one of the NBA’s all-time greats.

So for Bunch to be close with Durant and have him as a role model, that should absolutely serve Bunch well as he wraps up his prep-school days, heads off to the Hill, and ultimately looks to embark on a professional career in the future.

In April of 2020, we had a column on Durant as it related to Syracuse basketball. Orange head coach Jim Boeheim reportedly said that if ‘Cuse assistant coach and ace recruiter Troy Weaver hadn’t left Central New York for an NBA job, the ‘Cuse may have been able to get Durant to commit to Syracuse basketball.

Durant would go on to play one season at Texas, where he was recognized as the national player of the year for his sensational freshman stint.

I don’t know about you all, but I’m cool if Bunch replicates this magnificent performance by Durant at Texas when he suits up for the Orange.