The Los Angeles Lakers have officially joined the sweepstakes for superstar small forward Kevin Durant after the Oklahoma City Thunder scoring-machine showed his willingness to play with Kobe Bryant, who recently passed Michael Jordan for no.3 in All-Time scoring list.

In an interview with Sam Amick of USA Today, Durant vehemently rebutted the claim of ESPN writer Henry Abbott that no big-name free-agent is willing to play with Bryant.

"Excuse my language, but that's (expletive)," Durant said of criticisms on Bryant. "I want to play with a winner every single night, especially somebody who wants to win that bad, who works that hard, who demands a lot, who raises up your level.

Durant, who is set to become the Alpha-Dog of free-agents in the summer of 2016, even put intrigue to his statement after he expressed his desire to play with an ultra-competitive player like Bryant.

"I'd want to play with a guy like that every day. ... (His style) may make people uncomfortable, how he acts and just how he approaches the game, but I love that type of stuff. I think (the accusation) is BS."

It was not the first time Durant paid homage to Bryant. The Thunder superstar also credited the Black Mamba for having a strong mindset despite sitting the first month of the season with a broken foot.

"From a guy like Kobe that stood out to me, just knowing he's at the top of his game, but always trying to get better in all aspects, I learned a lot just from that conversation. It was big for me," Durant told ESPN.    

Durant's comments have definitely caught the attention of several Lakers fans, who are dreaming of a super-team that will feature Durant and Bryant two years from now.

The reigning NBA MVP is expected to draw interests from multiple teams, including the Lakers, though many analysts believed it would be a two-team race between Durant's hometown ball club the Washington Wizards and his current team, the Thunder.