Kevin Durant This article is about the All-Star basketball player. For the 1980s player
Durant was born on September 29, 1988, in Washington, D.C.,[4] to Wanda (nΓ©e 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 re-entered his life and traveled the country with him to basketball tournaments.[5][6] Durant has a sister, Brianna, and two brothers, Tony and
Durant and his siblings grew up in Prince George's County, Maryland, on the eastern outskirts of Washington, D.C.[8] 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 13–14).[9] Growing up, Durant wanted to play for his favorite team, the Toronto Raptors,[10] which included his favorite player, Vince Carter.[10] He played Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) basketball for several teams in the Maryland area and was teammates with future NBA players Michael Beasley, Greivis VΓ‘squez, and Ty Lawson, the first of whom Durant remains friends with to this day.[11][12] 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.[13]
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).[14]
Prior to the start of the season, he committed to the University of Texas at Austin.[15] He had visited the University of Connecticut and the University of North Carolina and said he considered Duke University, the University of Kentucky, and the University of Louisville. When asked why he chose a college program with a lesser-known program, he said, "Wanted to set my own path."
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.[16][17] He was widely regarded as the second-best high school prospect of 2006, behind Greg Oden.[18][19][20]
College career
Durant with the Texas Longhorns in 2007
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.[4] They finished the year with a 25–10 record overall and a 12–4 record in the conference.[21] Awarded the fourth seed in the NCAA Tournament, Texas won their 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.[22] For his outstanding play, Durant was recognized as the unanimous national player of the year, winning the John R. Wooden Award,[23] the Naismith College Player of the Year Award,[24] and all eight other widely recognized honors and awards.[25][26][27][28][29][30] This made Durant the first freshman to win any of the national players of the year awards.[31] Following the season, he declared for the NBA draft.[32] His No. 35 jersey was later retired by the Longhorns.[33]
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.[4]
2× NBA champion: 2017, 2018
2× NBA Finals Most Valuable Player: 2017, 2018
NBA Most Valuable Player: 2014
11× NBA All-Star: 2010–2019, 2021
6× All-NBA First Team: 2010–2014, 2018
3× All-NBA Second Team: 2016, 2017, 2019
4× NBA scoring champion: 2010–2012, 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
USA Basketball
Cited from USA Basketball's Kevin Durant page unless noted otherwise.[156]
3× Olympic gold medalist: 2012, 2016, 2020
Olympics Most Valuable Player: 2020
FIBA World Cup gold medalist: 2010
FIBA World Cup Most Valuable Player: 2010
NCAA
Naismith College Player of the Year: 2007[226]
NABC Division I Player of the Year: 2007[26]
Oscar Robertson Trophy: 2007[27]
Adolph Rupp Trophy: 2007[28]
John R. Wooden Award: 2007[227]
Big 12 Player of the Year: 2007
USBWA National Freshman of the Year: 2007
Jersey number (35) retired at Texas
Media
AP Player of the Year: 2007[228]
AP All-America 1st Team: 2007[229]
Two-time ESPY Award winner:
2014 Best NBA Player
2017 Outstanding Team (as a member of the Golden State Warriors)
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