Kevin Durant
Durant was a heavily recruited high school prospect widely regarded as the second-best player in his class. He played one season of college basketball for the Texas Longhorns, where he won numerous year-end awards and became the first freshman to be named Naismith College Player of the Year. Durant was selected as the second overall pick by the Seattle SuperSonics in the 2007 NBA draft. He played nine seasons with the franchise, which became the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2008, before signing with the Golden State Warriors in 2016, winning consecutive NBA championships and NBA Finals MVP Awards in 2017 and 2018. After sustaining an Achilles injury in the 2019 finals, he joined the Brooklyn Nets as a free agent that summer. Following disagreements with the Nets' front office, he requested a trade during the 2022 offseason and was traded to the Phoenix Suns in 2023.
Off the court, Durant is one of the highest-earning basketball players in the world, due in part to endorsement deals with companies such as Foot Locker and Nike. He has developed a reputation for philanthropy and regularly leads the league in All-Star votes and jersey sales. In 2018, Durant was among Time's 100 most influential people in the world. In recent years, he has contributed to The Players' Tribune as both a photographer and writer. In 2012, he ventured into acting, appearing in the film Thunderstruck.
Early life
Durant was born on September 29, 1988, in Washington, D.C.,[6] to Wanda (née Durant) and Wayne Pratt. When Durant was an infant, his father deserted the family; Wanda and Wayne eventually divorced, and Durant's grandmother Barbara Davis helped raise him. By age 13, his father reentered his life and traveled the country with him to basketball tournaments.[7][8] Durant has a sister, Brianna, and two brothers, Tony and Rayvonne.[9]
Durant and his siblings grew up in Prince George's County, Maryland, on the eastern outskirts of Washington, D.C.[10] He was unusually tall from a young age, and reached 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) in height while still in middle school (age 10–12).[11] Growing up, Durant wanted to play for his favorite team, the Toronto Raptors,[12] which included his favorite player, Vince Carter.[12] He played Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) basketball for several teams in the Maryland area and was teammates with future NBA players Michael Beasley, Greivis Vásquez, and Ty Lawson, the first of whom Durant remains friends with to this day.[13][14] During this time, he began wearing #35 as his jersey number in honor of his AAU coach, Charles Craig, who was murdered at the age of 35.[15]
After playing two years of high school basketball at National Christian Academy and one year at Oak Hill Academy, Durant transferred to Montrose Christian School for his senior year, growing 5 inches (13 cm) before the start of the season and beginning the year at 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m).[16]
Prior to the start of the season, he committed to the University of Texas at Austin.[17] He had visited University of Connecticut and University of North Carolina, and said he considered Duke University, University of Kentucky and University of Louisville. When asked why he chose a college with a lesser-known program, he said, "Wanted to set my own path."[citation needed]
At the end of the year, he was named the Washington Post All-Met Basketball Player of the Year, as well as the Most Valuable Player of the 2006 McDonald's All-American Game.[18][19] He was widely regarded as the second-best high school prospect of 2006, behind Greg Oden.[20][21][22]
Durant had stated that he would have declared for the 2006 NBA draft if the NBA had not introduced the one-and-done rule, where his favorite team growing up, the Toronto Raptors, had the first overall pick
College career
For the 2006–07 college season, Durant—who had grown to 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)—averaged 25.8 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game for the Texas Longhorns.[6] Texas finished the season with a 25–10 record overall and a 12–4 record in conference.[25] Awarded a 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament, Texas won its first round match-up against New Mexico State but was upset in the second round by USC despite a 30-point and 9-rebound performance from Durant.[26] For his outstanding play, Durant was recognized as the unanimous national player of the year, winning the John R. Wooden Award,[27] the Naismith College Player of the Year Award,[28] and all eight other widely recognized honors and awards.[29][30][31][32][33][34] This made Durant the first freshman to win any of the national player of the year awards.[35] Following the season, he declared for the NBA draft.[36] His No. 35 jersey was later retired by the Longhorns
Professional career
Seattle SuperSonics / Oklahoma City Thunder (2007–2016)
Durant was selected as the second overall pick in the 2007 NBA draft by the Seattle SuperSonics, after Greg Oden was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers with the first pick of the draft.[38] In his first regular season game, the 19-year-old Durant registered 18 points, five rebounds and three steals against the Denver Nuggets.[39] On November 16, he made the first game-winning shot of his career in a game against the Atlanta Hawks.[40] At the conclusion of the 2007–08 NBA season, he was named the NBA Rookie of the Year following averages of 20.3 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game.[6] He joined Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James as the only teenagers in league history to average at least 20 points per game over an entire season.[41]
Breakthrough (2008–2010)
Following Durant's debut season, the SuperSonics relocated from Seattle to Oklahoma City, becoming the Thunder and switching to new colors – blue, orange, and yellow.[42] The team also drafted UCLA guard Russell Westbrook, who would form an All-Star combination with Durant in later years.[43] At the 2009 NBA All-Star Weekend, Durant set a Rookie Challenge record with 46 points.[44] By the conclusion of the 2008–09 NBA season, he had raised his scoring average by five points from the prior season to 25.3 points per game,[6] and was considered a strong candidate for the Most Improved Player Award, eventually finishing third in the voting.[45] Durant continued to grow during his first few years in the NBA, finally reaching a height of 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m).[46]
During the 2009–10 season, Durant was selected to his first NBA All-Star Game.[6] Behind his play, the Thunder improved their record by 27 wins from the previous year and defied expectations to make the playoffs.[47][48] With a scoring average of 30.1 points per game, Durant became the youngest NBA scoring champion and was selected to his first All-NBA team.[6][49] In his playoff debut, he scored 24 points in a Game 1 loss against the Los Angeles Lakers.[50] Oklahoma City would go on to lose the series in six games,[51] but the team's performance led many analysts to label them as an upcoming title contender.
First NBA finals (2010–2012)
Prior to the start of the 2010–11 season, Durant announced via Twitter that he had signed a five-year contract extension with the Thunder worth approximately $86 million.[53][54] For the second consecutive year, he led the NBA in scoring, averaging 27.7 points a game.[55] Behind Durant's leadership, the Thunder won 55 games and earned the fourth seed in the Western Conference.[56] In the 2011 NBA playoffs, Oklahoma City defeated the Denver Nuggets and Memphis Grizzlies en route to a Conference Finals match-up versus the Dallas Mavericks, losing in five games.[57]
On February 19 of the lockout-shortened 2011–12 season, Durant recorded his first career 50-point game, scoring 51 points against the Denver Nuggets.[58][59] At the All-Star Game, he scored 36 points and was awarded the NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award.[60] Durant finished the year with a scoring average of 28 points per game, representing his third straight scoring title.[61] Behind his play, the Thunder won 47 games and entered the 2012 NBA playoffs as the Western Conference's second seed.[62] In game 1 of the first round against the Dallas Mavericks, Durant hit a game-winner with 1.5 seconds remaining.[63] Oklahoma City would go on to defeat Dallas 4–0, the Lakers 4–1, and the San Antonio Spurs 4–2 before losing to the Miami Heat 1–4 in the 2012 NBA Finals.[64] For the NBA Finals, Durant led all players with 30.6 points per game, doing so on a 54.8 shooting rate.[65]
50–40–90 season (2012–2013)
With a scoring average of 28.1 points per game to finish the 2012–13 season, Durant failed to defend his scoring title; however, with a 51 percent shooting rate, a 41.6 percent three point shooting rate, and a 90.5 free throw shooting rate, he became the youngest player in NBA history to join the 50–40–90 club.[6][66] Finishing the year with a 60–22 record, Oklahoma City earned the first seed in the Western Conference.[67] In the first round of the 2013 NBA playoffs against the Houston Rockets, Westbrook tore his meniscus, forcing him to miss the remainder of the postseason.[68][69] Without Westbrook, Durant was given more responsibility,[70] averaging a career-high 30.8 points per game throughout the playoffs,[6] the Thunder defeated Houston 4-2 but were eliminated in the second round 1–4 by the Memphis Grizzlies.
MVP season (2013–2014)
In January of the 2013–14 season, Durant averaged 35.9 points per game while scoring 30 or more points in 12 straight games, including a career-high 54 points against the Golden State Warriors.[71][72] In April, he surpassed Michael Jordan's record for consecutive games scoring 25 points or more at 41.[73] The Thunder finished the year with 59 wins and Durant was voted the NBA Most Valuable Player behind averages of 32 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game.[74] To begin the first round of the 2014 NBA playoffs, he struggled against the physical play of the Grizzlies, converting on only 24 percent of his field goals in game 4.[75] Through five games, the Thunder trailed the series 3–2, prompting The Oklahoman to dub Durant "Mr. Unreliable".[76] He responded by scoring 36 points in a Game 6 victory.[77] Oklahoma City eventually eliminated Memphis and the Los Angeles Clippers before losing to the Spurs in the Conference Finals in six games.
Final seasons with the Thunder (2014–2016)
Prior to the start of the 2014–15 season, Durant was diagnosed with a Jones fracture in his right foot and was ruled out for six to eight weeks.[79] He subsequently missed the first 17 games of the year, making his season debut for the Thunder on December 2 against the New Orleans Pelicans.[80] On December 18, he injured his ankle against the Golden State Warriors,[81] returning to action on December 31 against the Phoenix Suns to score a season-high 44 points.[82] He then sprained his left big toe in late January.[83] On February 22, he was sidelined again after undergoing a minor procedure to help reduce pain and discomfort in his surgically repaired right foot,[84] and on March 27, he was officially ruled out for the rest of the season after deciding to undergo foot surgery.[85] In just 27 games, he averaged 25.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game.[6]
To begin the 2015–16 season, Durant and Westbrook reached several historical milestones together, including becoming the first pair of teammates to each score at least 40 points in a single game since 1996, doing so in a win over the Orlando Magic on October 30.[86][87][88] For the year, Durant averaged 28.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1.2 blocks per game,[6] leading the Thunder to 55 wins and the third seed in the West.[89] In game 2 of the first round of the 2016 NBA playoffs against the Mavericks, he scored 21 points but converted only 7 out of 33 shots in the worst postseason shooting performance of his career, both by shooting percentage and by number of shots missed.[90] After defeating Dallas, Oklahoma City moved on to face the Spurs in the second round, falling behind 2–1 to start the series.[89] In game 4, Durant tied his playoff career high with 41 points in a Thunder win.[91] Oklahoma City eventually defeated the Spurs in six games, drawing a matchup with the record-setting 73-win Golden State Warriors in the Conference Finals.[89] Despite going up 3–1, the Thunder were ousted in seven games, with Durant providing 27 points in game 7
Golden State Warriors (2016–2019)
First championship and finals MVP (2016–2017)
On July 4, Durant announced his intentions to sign with the Warriors in The Players' Tribune.[93][94][95] The move was received negatively by fans and pundits,[96][97] who felt that he took the easy route by leaving a team that had been up 3–1 and close to reaching the Finals to instead join their opponents, who had defeated them and were coming off a record-setting 73-win season; the Warriors had also won a championship the year before.[97][98][99] On July 7, Durant officially signed with Golden State on a two-year, $54.3 million contract with a player option after the first year.[100][101][102] Reflecting on the move for Sports Illustrated, Ben Golliver wrote, "He chose an ideal roster fit and a shot at playing for the highest-scoring offense the NBA has seen in decades. He chose life alongside Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, the greatest shooting backcourt in history, and he chose to go against Andre Iguodala and Draymond Green, two elite defenders, in practices rather than in Western Conference finals games
