Kevin Wayne Durant is one of the highest earning basketball superstars in the world. This two-time NBA Champion and two-time NBA Finals MVP is currently Golden State Warriors’ star small forward. He also has two gold medals from the 2012 London Olympics and the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics as well as a gold medal from the 2010 World Championships in Turkey.
Durant was born on September 29, 1988 in Washington, D.C. and attended Montrose Christian School in Rockville, Maryland. He played for the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) youth basketball team, the PG Jaguars. He then played for the DC Blue Devils. Durant garnered a host of accolades, including being named a McDonald’s All American and co-MVP of the 2006 McDonald’s All American game, along with Chase Budinger.
Durant went to the University of Texas, where he was one of four freshman starters on the team - started in all 35 games of the season. His coach was Bob Knight. He won several awards - indeed, he was the first freshman ever to win the NABC Division I Player of the Year, the Oscar Robertson Trophy and the Adolph F. Rupp Trophy. He was also selected as the Associated Press college player of the year, again the first freshman to receive this award since its inception in 1961.
After his freshman year, Durant declared for the 2007 NBA draft. He was chosen by the Seattle Supersonics, as the second overall pick behind Greg Oden. He went to the NBA’s Summer League, and also gained some seasoning at the State Farm USA basketball challenge.
Durant ended up becoming the Rookie of the Year thanks to the excellence of his rookie campaign (and the fact that Greg Oden missed the entire season due to injury.) He started in all 80 games and averaged 20.3 points per game
The Supersonics became the Oklahoma City Thunder when they relocated from Seattle to Oklahoma City. Durant continued to home his skills and raised his scoring average each season. He even led the NBA in scoring, when he averaged 27.7 points per game. With him at the helm, the Thunder became the fourth seed in the Western Conference.
In the 2011-2012 season, Durant had his first ever 50-point game wherein he scored 51 points against the Denver Nuggets. He became the youngest player in history to join the 50-40-90 club in the 2012-2013 Season. In April 2014, he surpassed Michael Jordan’s record for scoring 25 points or more for consecutive games.
In the 2015-2016 Season, he made another record for scoring 20 or more points with 64 for consecutive games. Durant signed with the Golden State Warriors in 2016 where he continued to showcase his prowess on the hard court.
He became the first player in the Warriors’ history to finish with at least 25 points, 10 rebounds, 5 blocks, and 5 assists in a single game. Despite his many injuries, Durant and the rest of the Warriors went on to defeat the defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers in the finals. The Warriors emerged victorious, with Durant being the top scorer in every game – ultimately earning him the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player.
In the 2017 – 2018 Season, Durant had another milestone by being the second youngest player in Warrior’s history to reach 20,000 points. The Warriors faced the Cleveland Cavaliers again in the Finals and managed a second-straight championship with Durant winning his second Finals MVP award.
Career Accomplishments:• 2-time NBA champion (2017, 2018)• 2-time NBA Finals MVP (2017, 2018)• NBA Most Valuable Player (2014)• 9-time NBA All-Star (2010–2018)• NBA All-Star Game MVP (2012)• 6-time All-NBA First Team (2010–2014, 2018)• 2-time All-NBA Second Team (2016, 2017)• 4-time NBA scoring champion (2010–2012, 2014)• NBA Rookie of the Year (2008)• NBA Rookie Challenge MVP (2009)• 50–40–90 club (2013)• Consensus National College Player of the Year(2007)• Consensus first-team All-American (2007)• Big 12 Player of the Year (2007)• FIBA World Championship MVP (2010)• 2-time USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year (2010, 2016)• McDonald’s All-American Game MVP (2007)• Number 35 retired by the University of Texas
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