Kevin Durant

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14 Mar 2024

Phoenix Suns (2023–present)

55–40–90 season (2023)

On February 9, 2023, the Nets traded Durant, along with T. J. Warren, to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, Jae Crowder, four unprotected first-round picks, and a 2028 first-round pick swap.[199] Although Durant wanted to continue wearing No. 7 as he did in Brooklyn, the number was retired by the Suns in honor of Kevin Johnson. As a result, Durant announced that he would return to wearing the No. 35 jersey, which he had worn throughout his college and professional career prior to joining the Nets.[200]
After being listed out since January 8 with a right knee injury, Durant made his Suns debut on March 1 against the Charlotte Hornets.[201] He put up 23 points on 10-of-15 shooting in 27 minutes, contributing to the Suns' 105–91 win.[202] On March 3 against the Chicago Bulls, Durant had another efficient night, scoring 20 points on 7-of-10 shooting. In addition, he moved up to 13th on the all-time scoring list, surpassing Oscar Robertson.[203][204] Against the Dallas Mavericks on March 5, Durant led all scorers with 37 points, going 12-of-17 from the field and hitting the game-winning jump shot with 11.7 seconds left, guiding the Suns to a narrow 130–126 victory.[205] Prior to his expected home debut against the Oklahoma City Thunder on March 8, Durant slipped on the court during pregame warmups and injured his left ankle. He was ruled out roughly 15 minutes before the opening tip-off.[206] A day later, the Suns announced that Durant had suffered a left ankle sprain and would be re-evaluated in three weeks.[207] After missing the last 10 games, he made his return on March 29 against the Minnesota Timberwolves. In his home debut, Durant put up 16 points and eight rebounds in 29 minutes, contributing to a 107–100 win.[208][209] In his eight games with Phoenix, Durant finished with an 8–0 record, averaging 26.0 points in 33.6 minutes per game and helping the Suns finish fourth in the Western Conference.[210][211] He also finished the regular season shooting over 55% from the field, over 40% from three-point range, and over 90% from the free throw line, becoming the first player in NBA history to achieve those shooting splits in a season.[212]
On April 16, Durant in his Suns playoff debut posted a near triple-double with 27 points, 9 rebounds and a playoff career-high 11 assists in a 115–110 loss against the Los Angeles Clippers.[213] In Game 4 of the Suns' first-round playoff series against the Clippers, Durant logged 31 points, 11 rebounds and six assists in a 129–124 win, to lead the Suns to a 3–1 series lead.[214] Four days later in Game 5 against the Clippers, Durant scored 31 points in a 136–130 win to close out the series.[215] In Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Denver Nuggets, Durant passed Karl Malone to climb into seventh place for NBA postseason scoring.[216] Four days later, Durant recorded 39 points, nine rebounds and eight assists in a 121–114 Game 3 win.[217] The Suns eventually lost the series to the eventual NBA champion Nuggets in six games. However, throughout Denver’s entire championship run, Phoenix was the only team to win more than one game against the Nuggets in a single playoff series.[218]

Top 10 in all-time scoring (2023–2024)

On October 31, 2023, Durant put up 26 points in a 115–114 loss to the San Antonio Spurs. He passed Hakeem Olajuwon for 12th on the all-time career scoring list and became the 12th player all-time to reach 27,000 career points.[219] On November 17, Durant recorded 38 points, nine rebounds and nine assists on 15-of-22 shooting from the field in a 131–128 win over the Utah Jazz.[220] On November 21, Durant put up 31 points in a 120–107 win over the Portland Trail Blazers. He also passed Elvin Hayes for 11th place on the all-time career scoring list.[221] On December 1, Durant put up 30 points and 11 assists in a 119–111 loss to the reigning NBA champion Denver Nuggets in a rematch of the previous season’s Western Conference Semi-Finals. He also passed Moses Malone for 10th place on the all-time career scoring list.[222] On December 27, Durant put up his 18th career triple-double, dropping 27 points, 10 rebounds and tying his career-high with 16 assists in a 129–113 victory over the Houston Rockets.[223]
On January 21, 2024, Durant scored 40 points and grabbed nine rebounds on 18-of-25 shooting from the field in a 117–110 win over the Indiana Pacers. He became the first Sun and the 14th player in NBA history to score 40 points with zero free throw attempts.[224][225] On January 22, Durant put up 43 points, six rebounds, and eight assists alongside a game-winning mid-range jumpshot in a 115–113 win over the Chicago Bulls.[226] On January 25, Durant was named an Western Conference starter for the 2024 NBA All-Star Game, marking his 14th overall selection and 12th as a starter.[227] On January 31, Durant made his return to Brooklyn for the first time since getting traded. In the game, he finished with 33 points, eight assists, and five rebounds in a 136–120 win over the Brooklyn Nets.[228] On February 23, Durant put up 28 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists in a 114–110 loss to the Houston Rockets. He also passed Carmelo Anthony for 9th place on the all-time career scoring list.[229] On March 9, Durant scored a season-high 45 points along with 10 rebounds and 6 assists in a 117–107 loss against the Boston Celtics.[230]

National team career

In February 2007, Durant received an invitation to the United States national team training camp.[231][232] Despite a strong performance, he was cut from the team when its roster was trimmed to its twelve-player limit.[233] Coach Mike Krzyzewski cited the experience of the remaining players as the deciding factor in making the cut.[233] Durant was finally selected to the national team at the 2010 FIBA World Championship and became their leader as other All-Stars were unavailable, a role he downplayed.[234] At the tournament, he led Team USA to its first FIBA World Championship since 1994, earning tournament MVP honors in the process.[235] His final averages for the competition were 22.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.4 steals per game in nine games.[236] In December, Durant was named 2010 USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year for the first time in his career.[237]
Kevin Durant defending against Jonas Maciulis in 2010
At the 2012 Olympics, Durant set the record for total points scored in an Olympic basketball tournament.[238] With averages of 19.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.6 steals per game, he helped the national team go undefeated en route to a gold medal.[236] In the tournament's final game, he led all scorers with 30 points.[239] Less than a month before the start of the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup, Durant announced that he would be dropping out of the competition, citing mental and physical exhaustion as reasons for his departure.[240] He rejoined Team USA on the 2016 Olympic team, where he led them to a gold medal.[241] His final averages for the competition were 19.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game in 8 games. In recognition of his performances, Durant was named the 2016 co-USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year, along with Carmelo Anthony, for the second time in his career.[242]
Durant committed to playing on the 2020 Olympic team, delayed until 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[243] He entered the Games ranked second in U.S. men's Olympic basketball history with 311 career points,[244] needing 25 to match Anthony's record of 336.[245][246] Durant broke Anthony's record on July 31 against the Czech Republic.[247] He led Team USA to a gold medal, and FIBA named him the tournament's MVP.[248] Durant's 20.7 points per game set a U.S. Olympic men's single-competition record for points averaged, and he tied Carmelo Anthony for most Olympic gold medals (three). He is also one of just four U.S. male basketball athletes to play in three or more Olympics.[249][250] In recognition of his accomplishments in the tournament, Durant was named 2021 USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year for the third time in his career.[251]
From 2010 to 2021, Durant played with the senior men's United States national team in 31 official games, in major FIBA tournaments, averaging 20.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists. Overall, he brought home four gold medals as member of the national team: three from Olympic tournaments and one from the 2010 FIBA World Championship.[252] Durant, who has led the US in scoring in all three of his Olympic appearances and at the 2010 FIBA World Championship, owns eight U.S. Olympic men's career records, including the top spot for points (435), points averaged (19.8), field goals made (146) and attempted (276), 3-point field goals made (74) and attempted (148) and free throws made (69) and attempted (80).[253]

Player profile

Durant playing in a game between the Drew League and the Goodman League in August 2011
Durant's height is officially listed as 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) and his primary position is small forward. In December 2016, Durant stated that his height in shoes was actually 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) and that he understated his height in order to be listed as a small forward, rather than a power forward.[254] His career averages are 27.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game.[6] Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time,[255][256][257][258] Durant has earned All-NBA honors ten times (2010–2014, 2016–2019, 2022) and was voted rookie of the year in his debut season.[6] He has also won an MVP Award and finished second in the voting three times, a trend that he has expressed frustration over.[259][260][261][262]
Durant is best known for his prodigious scoring ability.[263] From 2010 to 2014, he won four scoring titles, becoming one of only two players to win four scoring titles in a five-year span.[264] Early in his career, his playing style was isolation-driven, but he quickly developed into an excellent off-ball player who was capable of scoring from the outside as well.[265] By 2013, he was shooting at a historically great clip, which helped him become one of only nine members of the 50–40–90 club.[266] This ability to impact the offense in a variety of ways helped Durant remain effective and improve an already elite offense upon joining the Warriors in 2016.[265] Throughout his career, his height and 7 ft 4 in (2.24 m) wingspan have created matchup problems for defenses as he is able to get off a clean shot regardless of the situation.[267][268] Upon beating his man or gaining momentum, he also becomes a strong finisher at the rim; for example, he converted 72.2% of shots in the paint in 2012.[263]
Early in Durant's career, he was criticized for his slim build, defense, and passing.[269] Over time, he grew as a playmaker, increasing his assist numbers every year from 2010 to 2014,[267] though his overall vision still lagged behind the league's best passers'.[265] He also showed defensive improvement, with opponents averaging just .62 points per isolation play against him in 2014, the best success rate for defensive players who faced at least 100 isolations that season.[270] Upon going to Golden State, he developed into a more reliable off-ball defender and rim protector, and in 2018 was considered for the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award.[271]

Personal life

Durant during a flag football game at Oklahoma State University in 2011
Durant is very close with his mother, Wanda, a relationship that was detailed in the Lifetime movie The Real MVP: The Wanda Durant Story.[272] During his time with the Thunder, Durant described himself as a "high school kid" who enjoys playing video games in his spare time.[273] Durant is a Christian who attended Baptist schools.[274][275] He has religious tattoos on his stomach,[276] wrist,[274] and back.[277] He owns several properties in the Oklahoma City area and listed his primary residence, located in the affluent Club Villa neighborhood, for sale for $1.95 million in 2013.[278] That same year, he opened a restaurant, KD's Southern Cuisine, in the Bricktown neighborhood and briefly became engaged to Monica Wright, a WNBA player.[279][280][281] In 2016, he was a credentialed photographer for The Players' Tribune at Super Bowl 50.[282][283]
Durant was formerly represented by agents Aaron Goodwin and Rob Pelinka.[284][285] He left Pelinka in 2013 and signed with the Roc Nation group, headed by Jay-Z.[285][286] Durant has endorsement deals with Nike, Sprint, Gatorade, Panini, General Electric, and 2K Sports.[287] In 2012, he tried his hand at acting, appearing in the children's film Thunderstruck.[288] In 2013, he earned $35 million, making him the fourth-highest-earning basketball player that year.[289] In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Durant claimed that, despite his high earnings potential, "global marketing and all that stuff" does not interest him.[287]
One of the most popular players in the league, Durant's jersey regularly ranks as one of the NBA's best-selling and he is consistently one of the top All-Star vote-getters.[290][291] Early in his career, he developed a reputation for his kind demeanor; in 2013, Foot Locker released a series of commercials calling him the "nicest guy in the NBA",[292] and become a beloved figure in Oklahoma City, known for his "nice escapades" toward the Thunder's staff.[293] In 2014, he partnered with KIND snacks and launched StrongAndKind.com to show "being kind is not a sign of weakness."[294] Since joining the Warriors, he has become more outspoken and controversial; for example, he was involved in a Twitter back-and-forth with CJ McCollum in July 2018.[295] Durant has admitted to feeling more genuine in Golden State as opposed to Oklahoma City, where he was "just trying to please everybody".[296] He's very active on Twitter,[297] often engaging in chippy comments with fans and members of the media.[298]
Throughout his career, Durant has participated in philanthropic causes. In 2013, he pledged $1 million to the American Red Cross for the victims of the 2013 Moore tornado.[299] His generosity inspired the Thunder and Nike to match his donation.[300] He is also a spokesperson for the Washington, D. C. branch of P'Tones Records, a nationwide non-profit after-school music program.[301]
Durant speaking at TechCrunch Disrupt San Francisco in 2017
In 2017, Durant became involved with YouTube. In February, he visited YouTube's headquarters for a speaking engagement.[302] On April 7, 2017, he created a YouTube account and soon began to upload live stream vlogs onto it.[303][304] In his first vlog, he detailed, "I'm so excited because I got off social media. I got off the Instagram, Twitter, all that stuff, just to distance myself a bit. But somebody talked me into getting on the YouTube."[304] As of June 2020, Durant's YouTube channel has received over 790,000 subscribers and 38 million video views.[303] On February 13, 2018, Deadline reported that Durant, in partnership with producer Brian Grazer's Imagine Television, will create a basketball-themed scripted drama for Apple.[305]
In 2017, Durant and business partner Rich Kleiman founded Thirty Five Ventures.[306][307][308][309] In 2020, Thirty Five Ventures produced Basketball County, a documentary about youth basketball in Durant's home county of Prince George's County, Maryland. Durant served as an executive producer and appeared in interviews.[310] Thirty Five Ventures' work Two Distant Strangers won the 2021 Academy Award for Short Film (Live Action).[311][312]
Durant was included in Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People of 2018.[313]
On June 15, 2020, Durant became a minority owner of MLS side Philadelphia Union, acquiring a 5% stake with the possibility to add another 5% in the near future.[314]
In August 2021, Durant announced a partnership between his multimedia company Boardroom and the cannabis technology company Weedmaps through which an original content series would be developed and Weedmaps would become an official sponsor of Boardroom.[315][316] Durant said of the partnership: "I think it's far past time to address the stigmas around cannabis that still exist in the sports world as well as globally. This partnership is going to help us continue to normalize those conversations, as well as create content, events, and a lot more through our Boardroom media network."[317]
In May 2021, Durant (through Thirty Five Ventures) was announced as an investor in Just Women's Sports, an American media platform dedicated to women's sports. Durant credited the platform with showing "fans exactly how good these players are and why they're worth watching."[318]
On October 29, 2021, Swagger (TV series) was released, inspired by Durant's life story. Durant also served as the executive producer.[319]
On December 22, 2021, he had signed a deal with Coinbase to serve as a brand ambassador.[320]
In October 2022, Durant joined fellow professional athletes LeBron James, Tom Brady, and Drew Brees as an investor in a professional pickleball team with his business partner, Rich Kleiman, via their Thirty Five Ventures (35V) firm.[321][322]

Career statistics

Legend GPGames played GS Games started MPG Minutes per game FG% Field goal percentage 3P% 3-point field goal percentage FT% Free throw percentage RPG Rebounds per game APG Assists per game SPG Steals per game BPG Blocks per game PPG Points per game Bold Career high † Won an NBA championship * Led the league
Source:[6]

NBA

Regular season

YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG2007–08 Seattle808034.6.430.288.8734.42.41.0.920.32008–09 Oklahoma City747439.0.476.422.8636.52.81.3.725.32009–10 Oklahoma City82*82*39.5.476.365.9007.62.81.41.030.1*2010–11 Oklahoma City787838.9.462.350.8806.82.71.11.027.7*2011–12 Oklahoma City66*66*38.6.496.387.8608.03.51.31.228.0*2012–13 Oklahoma City818138.5.510.416.905*7.94.61.41.328.12013–14 Oklahoma City818138.5.503.391.8737.45.51.3.732.0*2014–15 Oklahoma City272733.8.510.403.8546.64.1.9.925.42015–16 Oklahoma City727235.8.505.387.8988.25.01.01.228.22016–17†Golden State626233.4.537.375.8758.34.81.11.625.12017–18†Golden State686834.2.516.419.8896.85.4.71.826.42018–19 Golden State787834.6.521.353.8856.45.9.71.126.02020–21 Brooklyn353233.1.537.450.8827.15.6.71.326.92021–22 Brooklyn555537.2.518.383.9107.46.4.9.929.92022–23 Brooklyn393936.0.559.376.9346.75.3.81.529.7Phoenix8833.6.570.537.8336.43.5.31.326.0Career98698336.7.499.385.8867.14.31.11.127.3All-Star11926.7.539.362.8976.13.81.7.524.4

Play-in

YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG2022 Brooklyn1141.7.563.5001.0005.011.02.03.025.0Career1141.7.563.5001.0005.011.02.03.025.0

Playoffs

YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG2010 Oklahoma City6638.5.350.286.8717.72.3.51.325.02011 Oklahoma City171742.5.449.339.8388.22.8.91.128.62012 Oklahoma City202041.9.517.373.8647.43.71.51.228.52013 Oklahoma City111144.1.455.314.8309.06.31.31.130.82014 Oklahoma City191942.9.460.344.8108.93.91.01.329.62016 Oklahoma City181840.3.430.282.8907.13.31.01.028.42017†Golden State151535.5.556.442.8937.94.3.81.328.52018†Golden State212138.4.487.341.9017.84.7.71.229.02019 Golden State121236.8.514.438.9034.94.51.11.032.32021 Brooklyn121240.4.514.402.8719.34.41.51.634.32022 Brooklyn4444.0.386.333.8955.86.31.0.326.32023 Phoenix111142.3.478.333.9178.75.5.81.429.0Career16616640.5.476.355.8697.84.21.01.229.4

College

YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG2006–07 Texas353535.9.473.404.81611.11.31.91.925.8

Awards and honors

Durant's No. 35 jersey retired by Texas Durant with his gold medal at the 2010 FIBA World Championship in Turkey
Main article: List of career achievements by Kevin Durant
NBA
Cited from Basketball Reference's Kevin Durant page unless noted otherwise.[6]