Kevin Durant

Kevin Durant

Durant during Game one of the 2018 NBA Finals
No. 7 - Brooklyn Nets
Position	Small forward Power forward
Personal information
Born	September 29, 1988 (1988-09-29) Washington_D.C Washington, D.C.]
Nationality	American
Physical stats
Listed height	6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Listed weight	240 lb (109 kg)
Career information
High school	Montrose Christian School (Rockville, Maryland) Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Virginia)
College	Texas (2006–2007)
NBA Draft	2007 / Round: 1 / Pick: 2nd overall
Selected by the Seattle SuperSonics
Playing career	2007–present (17 years)
Career history
2007–2016	Seattle SuperSonics/ Oklahoma City Thunder
2016–2019	Golden State Warriors
2019–present	Brooklyn Nets
Career highlights and awards
2x NBA champion (2017, 2018) 2x NBA Finals MVP (2017, 2018) NBA Most Valuable Player (2014) 10x NBA All-Star (2010–2019) 2x NBA All-Star Game MVP (2012, 2019) 6x All-NBA First Team (2010–2014, 2018) 3x All-NBA Second Team (2016, 2017, 2019) NBA Rookie of the Year (2008) NBA All-Rookie First Team (2008) 4x NBA scoring champion (2010–2012, 2014) NBA Rookie Challenge MVP (2009) 2x NBA H-O-R-S-E Contest Winner (2009-2010) FIBA World Championship MVP (2010) Consensus National Player of the Year (2007) Consensus first-team All-American (2007) Big 12 Player of the Year (2007) Big 12 Tournament MVP (2007) No. 35 retired by the Longhorns

Kevin Wayne Durant (born September 29, 1988) is an American basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets of the NBA. He previously played for the Seattle SuperSonics, which later became the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2008, and the Golden State Warriors, winning two consecutive championships and Finals MVPs with the latter.

A 6'9" shooting guard–small forward, Durant was the consensus 2007 National College Player of the Year, in addition to being selected as the 2006–2007 Big 12 Player of the Year, amongst other awards. After his freshman season at the University of Texas, Durant opted to enter the NBA Draft, where he was selected second overall by the Seattle SuperSonics. There, he went on to claim the NBA Rookie of the Year Award after his debut season.

As a professional, he has won two NBA championships, an NBA Most Valuable Player Award, two Finals MVP Awards, two NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Awards, four NBA scoring titles, the NBA Rookie of the Year Award, and two Olympic gold medals. Durant has also been selected to nine All-NBA teams and ten NBA All-Star teams.

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 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.

High school

A basketball player from his earliest days, Durant played for a successful Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) youth basketball team, the PG Jaguars. The Jaguars won multiple national championships with Durant and fellow future blue chip recruits Michael Beasley (Miami Heat) and Chris Braswell (Georgetown). Durant had wore the #35 jersey in honor of his childhood mentor and AAU coach, Charles Craig, who was murdered at age 35. Durant later moved on to play AAU basketball with fellow McDonald's All American Tywon Lawson (North Carolina) for the DC Blue Devils. After spending two years at National Christian Academy (MD), and one year at Oak Hill Academy (VA), Durant starred for the Montrose Christian School in Rockville, Maryland during his senior year. At Montrose, Durant led the team in scoring and was named the Washington Post All Met Basketball Player of the Year. Durant also played with current Maryland point guard Greivis Vasquez while at Montrose. Vetter described Durant as a hard working player, complete with size, shooting skills and ball handling skills. Durant also was named a McDonald's All American and named co-MVP of the 2006 McDonald's All American game along with Chase Budinger. Behind Greg Oden, Durant was widely regarded as the second-best high school prospect..

College

A 6'9" power forward with a 7'5" wingspan, Durant was one of four freshman starters for the University of Texas basketball team. Durant started in all 35 games of the season, which culminated with a loss in the second round of the NCAA tournament to University of Southern California. Texas finished third in the conference, with a 12-4 record and was the runner-up in the 2007 Big 12 Men's Basketball Tournament.

Although he had a slender frame, Durant frequently used it to his advantage by posting up bigger players, while shooting over smaller guards. ESPN analyst Dick Vitale praised Durant as the "most prolific offensive skilled big perimeter" ever and proceeded to compare Durant's game to those of current NBA stars like Kevin Garnett and Dirk Nowitzki. After a 37 point, 23 rebound winning performance against the Texas Tech Red Raiders, head coach Bob Knight described Durant as quick, fast and mobile, and being "really good". Texas coach Rick Barnes admitted to rarely calling set plays for Durant, instead relying on Durant himself and on his teammates to find him within the flow of the offense.

Durant was widely hailed by the media as the Big 12's top freshman and a top candidate to be named Freshman of the Year. He averaged 25.8 points per game and 11.1 rebounds per game during his freshman season with the Texas Longhorns. In Big 12 matches he averaged 28.9 points per game and 12.5 rebounds. His college career high for scoring was 37 points, which he has achieved on four occasions. Durant had twenty 30-point games his freshman year, including a losing effort against Kansas for the regular season Big 12 title.

In March 2007, Durant was named the NABC Division I Player of the Year, and received the Oscar Robertson Trophy and the Adolph F. Rupp Trophy, becoming the first freshman to win each of these awards. On March 30, 2007, he was selected as the Associated Press college player of the year, becoming the first freshman and the first Texas athlete to receive this award since its inception in 1961. On April 1, 2007 he became the first freshman to receive the Naismith Award and on April 7, 2007, won the John R. Wooden Award.

In late February 2007, Durant received an invitation to the Team USA Basketball training camp, becoming the second freshman after Greg Oden to achieve this.

Less than a week after being drafted by the Seattle SuperSonics, The University of Texas announced the retirement of Durant's #35 jersey. The number will now hang in the rafters at the Frank Erwin Center along with the #11 of former Longhorn great T.J. Ford. Durant's will be one of nine jerseys to be retired in ceremonies during the 2008-09 school year.

NBA career

Seattle SuperSonics (2007–2008)

Durant declared himself eligible for the 2007 NBA Draft on April 11, 2007 and signed his first professional contract on May 25 with the Upper Deck Company, who later heralded Durant to be the focus of their 2007-08 NBA trading card line.

On June 28, 2007, Durant was taken second overall in the 2007 NBA Draft by the Seattle SuperSonics. It was expected that either he or Greg Oden, the starting center for Ohio State at the time, were to go Number 1 in the draft, but Oden was taken ahead of Durant when it actually happened. In the proceeding month, Durant went on to sign a seven-year, $60 million endorsement deal with Nike—a rookie deal only surpassed by LeBron James' contract with Nike. In doing so, Durant reportedly turned down a potential $70 million contract with Adidas, opting for Nike since he had worn them all his life.

After playing only a handful of games in the NBA Summer League, Durant was chosen to trial for Team USA and participate in the State Farm USA basketball challenge, alongside NBA all-stars like Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwight Howard. Although Durant held his own in scoring 22 points for the Blue team in one game, he was ultimately dropped when the roster was trimmed to the twelve-player limit. Coach Mike Krzyzewski cited the experience of the remaining players as the deciding factor in making the cut.

On October 31, 2007, Durant made his NBA debut with 18 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 steals in a loss to the Denver Nuggets. On November 16, 2007 Durant made the first game-winning shot of his NBA career with a key 3-pointer to beat the Atlanta Hawks in double overtime. Durant finished with 21 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, and 3 blocks. On November 30, 2007, Durant scored 35 points to beat the Indiana Pacers. In a game against the Denver Nuggets, he flirted with a triple double as he came up with 37 points, 8 rebounds and 9 assists. In the last game of his rookie season, Durant finally recorded his first double-double of his career with a career-high 42 points and a career-high 13 rebounds, and also added 5 assists. In addition to leading all rookies in scoring for the season, he was named the NBA Western Conference Rookie of the Month for November, December (2007), January, March and April (2008). Durant's 20.3 point per game season average broke the SuperSonics' 40-year-old rookie record set by Bob Rule during the 1967-68 season.

At the conclusion of the 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. 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.

Oklahoma City Thunder (2008–2016)

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. The team also drafted UCLA guard Russell Westbrook, who would form an All-Star combination with Durant in later years. At the 2009 NBA All-Star Weekend, Durant set a Rookie Challenge record with 46 points. By the conclusion of the year, he had raised his scoring average by five points from the prior season to 25.3 points per game, and was considered a strong candidate for the Most Improved Player Award, eventually finishing third in the voting. Durant continued to grow during his first few years in the NBA, finally reaching a height of 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m).

During the 2009–10 season, Durant was selected to his first NBA All-Star Game. Behind his play, the Thunder improved their record by 27 wins from the previous year and defied expectations to make the playoffs. 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. In his playoff debut, he scored 24 points in a Game 1 loss against the Los Angeles Lakers. Oklahoma City would go on to lose the series in six games, but the team's performance led many analysts to label them as an upcoming title contender.

Deep playoff runs (2010–2013)

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. For the second consecutive year, he led the NBA in scoring, averaging 27.7 points a game. Behind Durant's leadership, the Thunder won 55 games and earned the fourth seed in the Western Conference. In the 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 to the eventual NBA champion.

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. At the All-Star Game, he scored 36 points and was awarded the NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award. Durant finished the year with a scoring average of 28 points per game, representing his third straight scoring title. Behind his play, the Thunder won 47 games and entered the playoffs as the Western Conference's second seed. In Game 1 of the first round against the defending NBA champion Dallas Mavericks, Durant hit a game-winner with 1.5 seconds remaining. Oklahoma City would go on to sweep the Mavericks, then defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in the Semifinals in five games, and the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals in six games before losing to the Miami Heat in the Finals. For the NBA Finals, Durant led all players with 30.6 points per game, doing so on a 54.8 shooting rate.

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. Finishing the year with a 60–22 record, Oklahoma City earned the first seed in the Western Conference. In the first round of the playoffs against the Houston Rockets, Russell Westbrook tore his meniscus, forcing him to miss the remainder of the postseason. Without Westbrook, Durant was given more responsibility, averaging a career-high 30.8 points per game throughout the playoffs, but Oklahoma City were eventually eliminated in the second round by the Memphis Grizzlies in five games.

MVP season (2013–14)

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. In April, he surpassed Michael Jordan's record for consecutive games scoring 25 points or more at 41. 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. To begin the first round of the playoffs against the Memphis Grizzlies, the team he and the Thunder lost to in the second round in the previous season, he struggled against the physical play of the Grizzlies, converting on only 24 percent of his field goals in Game 4. Through five games, the Thunder trailed the series 3–2, prompting The Oklahoman to dub Durant "Mr. Unreliable". He responded by scoring 36 points in a Game 6 victory. Oklahoma City would go on to defeat Memphis in Game 7, then defeated the Los Angeles Clippers in the Semifinals in six games before losing to the eventual NBA champion San Antonio Spurs in the Western 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. 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. On December 18, he injured his ankle against the Golden State Warriors, returning to action on December 31 against the Phoenix Suns to score a season-high 44 points. He then sprained his left big toe in late January. On February 22, he was sidelined again after undergoing a minor procedure to help reduce pain and discomfort in his surgically repaired right foot, and on March 27, he was officially ruled out for the rest of the season after deciding to undergo foot surgery. In just 27 games, he averaged 25.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game. The Thunder would go on to miss the playoffs.

To begin the 2015–16 season, Durant and Russell 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. On April 11, Durant scored 34 points against the Los Angeles Lakers, setting an NBA record for consecutive games scoring 20 or more points with 64. For the year, Durant averaged 28.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1.2 blocks per game, leading the Thunder to 55 wins and the third seed in the West. In Game 2 of the first round of the playoffs against the Dallas Mavericks, he scored 21 points, but converted only 7 out of 33 shots in the worst postseason shooting performance, both by percentage and number of misses, of his career. After defeating Dallas, Oklahoma City moved on to face the San Antonio Spurs in the second round, falling behind 2–1 to start the series. In Game 4, Durant tied his playoff career high with 41 points in a Thunder win. Oklahoma City eventually defeated the Spurs in six games, drawing a matchup with the record-setting 73-win and defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference Finals. Despite taking a 3–1 series lead, the Thunder were ousted in seven games, with Durant providing 27 points in Game 7.

Golden State Warriors (2016–2019)

2016 free agency

On July 4, Durant announced his intentions to sign with the Golden State Warriors in The Players' Tribune. The move was received negatively by the public and NBA analysts, with many comparing it to LeBron James's 2010 off-season departure from the Cleveland Cavaliers to join the Miami Heat. Although many perceive it as much worse than LeBron James's decision to go to the Heat because Kevin Durant decided to go to an already established team that had already won championships. Many referred to him as a "snake". 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. 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."

Back-to-back championships and Finals MVPs (2016–2018)

Durant made his debut for the Warriors on October 25 against the San Antonio Spurs, scoring a team-high 27 points in a blowout loss. On November 26, he recorded 28 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, and a career-high six blocked shots in a win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, becoming the first player in team history to finish with at least 25 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, and five blocks in a single game. On February 11, in his first game back in Oklahoma City since leaving for Golden State, Durant scored 34 points while being booed throughout the night as he helped the Warriors defeat the Thunder for the third time that year. In March, Durant suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain and a tibial bone bruise, which forced him to miss the final 19 games of the season. Golden State finished the year with a 67–15 record and entered the playoffs as the first seed.

Durant returned from injury in time for the playoffs and helped the Warriors advance to their third consecutive Finals, while also becoming the first team in league history to start the postseason 12–0, as they swept their way to the NBA Finals. In Game 1 of the NBA Finals, Durant had 38 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists to lead the Warriors past LeBron James and the defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers. Durant then helped the Warriors go up 3–0 in the series with a 31-point effort in Game 3, including the go-ahead 3-pointer with 45.3 seconds left in regulation. In Game 5, he scored 39 points to go with seven rebounds and five assists in a series-clinching win. For the Finals, Durant was the Golden State's top scorer in every game, averaging 35.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 5.4 assists while shooting 55.5 percent from the field, 47.4 percent from three-point range, and 92.7 percent from the free throw line. He was subsequently named the NBA Finals MVP.

After the Finals, Durant declined his $27.7 million player option and became an unrestricted free agent. On July 25, he re-signed with the Warriors for less money than the maximum, which helped the franchise create enough salary cap space to keep their core roster intact and add free agents. On January 10 of the 2017–18 season, Durant scored 40 points in a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, becoming the second-youngest player in league history to reach the 20,000-point milestone. On January 23, he registered a career-high 14 assists in a win over the New York Knicks. On February 14, he scored a season-high 50 points in a loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. In March, he missed games with a fractured rib, joining teammates Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson on the sidelines for the back-end of the season. Golden State eventually finished the year with 58 wins and Durant set a career high for blocks in season with 119.

In Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals against the top-seeded Houston Rockets, Durant scored 37 points in a win over the Rockets. Through six games, however, the Warriors found themselves trailing 3–2, and Durant was criticized for contributing to Golden State's struggles by playing too much in isolation. The Warriors staved off elimination in Game 6, and in Game 7, Durant scored 34 points, helping Golden State return to the Finals with a series-clinching victory, where they faced off against the Cleveland Cavaliers for the fourth consecutive time in the Finals, marking the first time in any of North America's four major professional sports leagues that the same two teams met for the championship four years in a row. In Game 3 of the Finals, Durant recorded a playoff career-high 43 points, 13 rebounds, and seven assists in a win over the Cavaliers, leading the Warriors to a 3–0 advantage. Golden State ultimately swept Cleveland and clinched a second straight championship; with averages of 28.8 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 7.5 assists, Durant also won his second Finals MVP Award.

Final season with the Warriors and injury (2018–19)

On July 7, 2018, Durant re-signed with the Warriors, on a reported two-year, $61.5 million contract, which included a player option for the second year. During an overtime loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on November 12, 2018, fellow teammate Draymond Green cursed out Durant over his upcoming free agency status after the season, and he was suspended for the much-publicized blowup. On November 29, Durant scored a season-high 51 points in a 131–128 overtime loss to the Toronto Raptors, thus scoring 40 or more in his third straight game. With Curry and Green sidelined for most of November, the Warriors finished the month with a 15–8 record and five straight road losses, after starting the season at 10–1. In Game 5 of the first round of the playoffs, he scored a playoff career-high 45 points in a 129–121 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. In Game 6, he set a new playoff career high with 50 points in a 129–110 win to close out the series. During Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Houston Rockets, Durant suffered a right calf strain, subsequently missing Game 6, in which the Warriors won the series, as well as the Western Conference Finals against the Portland Trail Blazers, which the Warriors won in a four-game sweep. The Warriors advanced to their fifth consecutive NBA Finals, where they faced off against the Toronto Raptors, who were making their first ever appearance in the NBA Finals. After missing nine games with the strained right calf, Durant returned to action in Game 5, and scored 11 points in the first quarter. However, he was lost for the game two minutes into the second quarter when he tried to drive by former teammate Serge Ibaka and suffered an Achilles tendon injury, falling and grabbing his lower right calf. He limped off the court and was helped to the locker room. The Warriors won the game to cut the Raptors' series lead to 3–2. However, the Warriors went on to lose the NBA Finals in Game 6, ending their quest for a three-peat.

Brooklyn Nets (2019–present)

On June 30, Durant announced that he planned to sign with the Brooklyn Nets after the July moratorium ended on July 6. On July 1, Golden State CEO Joe Lacob announced that Durant's No. 35 will no longer be issued by the Warriors.

Durant signed with Brooklyn on July 7, 2019, in a sign-and-trade deal.

Media

Durant on the cover of the Playstation 3 version of NCAA 08 March Madness

Durant was the cover athlete of the NCAA March Madness 2008 video game by EA Sports.

Durant was also the cover athlete for NBA 2K13 and NBA 2K15.

Awards

NBA

• NBA champion: 2017, 2018
• NBA Finals Most Valuable Player: 2017, 2018
• NBA Most Valuable Player: 2014
• 10× NBA All-Star: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
• 6× All-NBA First Team: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2018
• 3× All-NBA Second Team: 2016, 2017, 2019
• 4× NBA scoring champion: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014
• 2× NBA All-Star Game MVP: 2012, 2019
• NBA Rookie of the Year: 2008
• NBA All-Rookie First Team: 2008
• NBA Rookie Challenge MVP: 2009

United States national team

• Olympic gold medalist: 2012, 2016
• FIBA World Cup gold medalist: 2010
• FIBA World Cup Most Valuable Player: 2010

College

• 2007 ESPN All-American
• 2007 ESPN Player of the Year
• 2007 NABC Division I Player of the Year
• 2007 AP Player of the Year (First freshman to achieve the honor)
• 2007 AP All-America 1^st Team (unanimous)
• 2007 Oscar Robertson Trophy
• 2007 Adolph Rupp Trophy
• 2007 Naismith Award Winner (First freshman to do so)
• 2007 John R. Wooden Award All-American Team
• 2007 John R. Wooden Award Winner
• Big 12 Rookie of the Week (six times)
• Big 12 Player of the Week (four times)
• 2007 Phillips 66 Big 12 Men's Basketball Awards:
  • Player of the Year
  • Big 12 Freshman of the Year
  • All-Big 12 First Team (unanimous)
  • Big 12 All-Defensive Team
  • Big 12 All-Rookie Team (unanimous)
• 2007 AP National Player of the Year

High school

• 2006 Co-MVP McDonald's All-American Game — Shared award with Chase Budinger

See Also

• Photo Gallery - Photos featuring Kevin Durant

External links

Template:Commons

• Template:NBA-profile
• [http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/