NBA All-Star Kevin Durant nabbed numerous racking up titles with the Oklahoma City Thunder before winning back-to-back champions with Golden State Warriors.
Kevin Wayne Durant was born just outside of the country's resources, in Suitland, Maryland, on September 29, 1988. As one of four youngsters of Wanda as well as Wayne Pratt, Durant grew up caring sports with his sis, Brianna, as well as 2 brothers, Anthony (also a basketball gamer) as well as Rayvonne. His grandma, Barbara, was a strong impact, informing him that his height was a blessing, although classmates teased him for always being the tallest in course.
Durant's success started with the PG Jaguars, an Amateur Athletic Union youth basketball group in Prince George's County, Maryland. The team won 2 national championships throughout Durant's period. To now, Durant puts on a No. 35 jersey in honor of Charles Craig, his AAU instructor and also childhood years mentor, who passed away at the age of 35.
During high school, Durant grew seven inches, to the elevation of 6' 9". During that time, he played for the National Christian Academy as well as Montrose Christian School, both in Maryland, as well as for basketball giant Oak Hill Academy, situated in Virginia. After his elderly year, he was called to Parade publication's "First Team" checklist, as well as to USA Today's "First Team All-American" listing, recording focus from significant university basketball recruiters nationwide.
Durant received offers from top Division I universities, and although triggered by his friend, point guard Tywon Lawson, to join him as well as play for the University of North Carolina Tar Heels, Durant authorized with the University of Texas Longhorns in Austin. Russell Springman, a Longhorn assistant and also Maryland indigenous, had actually been in touch with Durant given that his fresher year of senior high school.
As a Longhorn, Durant started every game during his freshman year of college, averaging 25.8 points per video game (initially in the Big 12, fourth in the country) as well as 11 rebounds per video game in 35 games. He scored 20-plus points 30 times, and installed 30-plus points 11 times. He was called the Big 12 Tournament's Most Valuable Player after establishing an event document of 92 points and leading the Longhorns to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, where they lost to the University of Southern California.
At the verdict of the season Durant got the Oscar Robertson and the Adolph F. Rupp awards, making him the very first fresher to win both honors.
After simply one year of college basketball, Durant stated himself qualified for the 2007 NBA Draft. In June of that year, he was selected 2nd total by the Seattle SuperSonics. Around that same time, Durant signed a $60 million, seven-year endorsement handle Nike, a significant bargain at the time, exceeded just by LeBron James's Nike contract.
Living up to the assumptions, the gangly ahead balanced greater than 20 points per game in his first season, gaining the NBA's Rookie of the Year Award. The Sonics then relocated the organization to end up being the Oklahoma City Thunder, and also Durant emerged as the face of the franchise in its new residence, making his very first All-Star option in 2010. He went on to assert the initial of three successive NBA scoring titles that year, before including an additional in his MVP period of 2013-14.
Durant took pleasure in team success with the promising Thunder, pairing with eruptive point guard Russell Westbrook and also James Harden to get to the NBA finals in 2012. In 2016, Oklahoma City dropped simply short of an additional finals appearance with a challenging seven-game loss to the Golden State Warriors
Durant has actually also played internationally, and also was named 2010 FIBA World Championship MVP by the International Basketball Federation. He was selected for the U.S. basketball team at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, where the Americans took home the gold medal. Durant returned for the 2016 Summer Games in Brazil, and was named the co-USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year (with Carmelo Anthony) after leading the team to gold once again.
On July 4, 2016, Durant made huge waves in the NBA when he announced that he had agreed to authorize with the Warriors. "The primary required I had for myself in making this decision was to have it based on the possibility for my growth as a gamer-- as that has actually always guided me in the appropriate instructions," Durant wrote in a message on The Players' Tribune. "But I am also at a point in my life where it is of equal importance to locate a chance that motivates my advancement as a male: vacating my convenience area to a new city as well as community which provides the greatest possibility for my contribution and individual growth."
Durant took a great deal of heat for the choice, with critics calling him "soft" for joining a currently loaded team, yet it proved to be a winning relocation. In June 2017, he led the Warriors to triumph over LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA finals, racking up 39 factors in the Game 5 clincher to seal Golden State's second championship in three years. Durant averaged 35.2 factors, 8.4 rebounds and 5.4 assists throughout the series, making finals MVP honors for his performance. "I understood eventually in my life it would come together for me. I simply had to keep grinding," he told the New York Daily News. "I'm at a loss for words."
The following year, Durant showed his management when his celebrated teammate, two-time MVP Stephen Curry, experienced an MCL sprain late in the period. Durant lugged his group through the very early rounds of the playoffs, and with Curry back to full strength, the Warriors brushed up the Cavaliers in their finals rematch, with Durant claiming his second straight finals MVP award.
The 2018-19 period showed to be one of the most turbulent among Durant's tenure in Golden State. In November, an in-game argument between Durant and also ahead Draymond Green lugged into the storage locker room afterward, as well as the group relatively lacked the awesome focus presented in previous seasons.
The Warriors still handled to assert the Western Conference with 57 wins, as well as they resisted the dangerous Houston Rockets in the conference semifinals in spite of shedding Durant to a strained calf bone. However, Durant's tried return in the NBA finals ended badly, as he hopped off the court with a burst Achilles ligament in the second quarter of Game 5.
Although Durant was expected to miss the 2019-20 NBA period as a result of his Achilles injury, it was revealed at the start of the 2019 free firm period that the celebrity onward had actually accepted a four-year deal with the Brooklyn Nets.
In March 2020, shortly after the NBA suspended its period as a result of the coronavirus episode, Durant revealed that he had checked favorable for the virus.
Who Is Kevin Durant?
Kevin Durant was a senior high school basketball star as well as after playing university round for only one season at the University of Texas, he was selected second general in the 2007 NBA draft by the Seattle SuperSonics. Durant took place to come to be a four-time racking up champion for the organization, which became the Oklahoma City Thunder after his Rookie of the Year project, as well as in 2014 he was voted the organization's Most Valuable Player. Durant took place to lead the Golden State Warriors to back-to-back NBA champions, before authorizing with the Brooklyn Nets in the summertime of 2019.
Early Life
Kevin Wayne Durant was born just outside of the country's resources, in Suitland, Maryland, on September 29, 1988. As one of four youngsters of Wanda as well as Wayne Pratt, Durant grew up caring sports with his sis, Brianna, as well as 2 brothers, Anthony (also a basketball gamer) as well as Rayvonne. His grandma, Barbara, was a strong impact, informing him that his height was a blessing, although classmates teased him for always being the tallest in course.
Durant's success started with the PG Jaguars, an Amateur Athletic Union youth basketball group in Prince George's County, Maryland. The team won 2 national championships throughout Durant's period. To now, Durant puts on a No. 35 jersey in honor of Charles Craig, his AAU instructor and also childhood years mentor, who passed away at the age of 35.
During high school, Durant grew seven inches, to the elevation of 6' 9". During that time, he played for the National Christian Academy as well as Montrose Christian School, both in Maryland, as well as for basketball giant Oak Hill Academy, situated in Virginia. After his elderly year, he was called to Parade publication's "First Team" checklist, as well as to USA Today's "First Team All-American" listing, recording focus from significant university basketball recruiters nationwide.
University Career at UT
Durant received offers from top Division I universities, and although triggered by his friend, point guard Tywon Lawson, to join him as well as play for the University of North Carolina Tar Heels, Durant authorized with the University of Texas Longhorns in Austin. Russell Springman, a Longhorn assistant and also Maryland indigenous, had actually been in touch with Durant given that his fresher year of senior high school.
As a Longhorn, Durant started every game during his freshman year of college, averaging 25.8 points per video game (initially in the Big 12, fourth in the country) as well as 11 rebounds per video game in 35 games. He scored 20-plus points 30 times, and installed 30-plus points 11 times. He was called the Big 12 Tournament's Most Valuable Player after establishing an event document of 92 points and leading the Longhorns to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, where they lost to the University of Southern California.
At the verdict of the season Durant got the Oscar Robertson and the Adolph F. Rupp awards, making him the very first fresher to win both honors.
Oklahoma City All-Star
After simply one year of college basketball, Durant stated himself qualified for the 2007 NBA Draft. In June of that year, he was selected 2nd total by the Seattle SuperSonics. Around that same time, Durant signed a $60 million, seven-year endorsement handle Nike, a significant bargain at the time, exceeded just by LeBron James's Nike contract.
Living up to the assumptions, the gangly ahead balanced greater than 20 points per game in his first season, gaining the NBA's Rookie of the Year Award. The Sonics then relocated the organization to end up being the Oklahoma City Thunder, and also Durant emerged as the face of the franchise in its new residence, making his very first All-Star option in 2010. He went on to assert the initial of three successive NBA scoring titles that year, before including an additional in his MVP period of 2013-14.
Durant took pleasure in team success with the promising Thunder, pairing with eruptive point guard Russell Westbrook and also James Harden to get to the NBA finals in 2012. In 2016, Oklahoma City dropped simply short of an additional finals appearance with a challenging seven-game loss to the Golden State Warriors
Durant has actually also played internationally, and also was named 2010 FIBA World Championship MVP by the International Basketball Federation. He was selected for the U.S. basketball team at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, where the Americans took home the gold medal. Durant returned for the 2016 Summer Games in Brazil, and was named the co-USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year (with Carmelo Anthony) after leading the team to gold once again.
NBA Champion with the Golden State Warriors.
On July 4, 2016, Durant made huge waves in the NBA when he announced that he had agreed to authorize with the Warriors. "The primary required I had for myself in making this decision was to have it based on the possibility for my growth as a gamer-- as that has actually always guided me in the appropriate instructions," Durant wrote in a message on The Players' Tribune. "But I am also at a point in my life where it is of equal importance to locate a chance that motivates my advancement as a male: vacating my convenience area to a new city as well as community which provides the greatest possibility for my contribution and individual growth."
Durant took a great deal of heat for the choice, with critics calling him "soft" for joining a currently loaded team, yet it proved to be a winning relocation. In June 2017, he led the Warriors to triumph over LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA finals, racking up 39 factors in the Game 5 clincher to seal Golden State's second championship in three years. Durant averaged 35.2 factors, 8.4 rebounds and 5.4 assists throughout the series, making finals MVP honors for his performance. "I understood eventually in my life it would come together for me. I simply had to keep grinding," he told the New York Daily News. "I'm at a loss for words."
The following year, Durant showed his management when his celebrated teammate, two-time MVP Stephen Curry, experienced an MCL sprain late in the period. Durant lugged his group through the very early rounds of the playoffs, and with Curry back to full strength, the Warriors brushed up the Cavaliers in their finals rematch, with Durant claiming his second straight finals MVP award.
The 2018-19 period showed to be one of the most turbulent among Durant's tenure in Golden State. In November, an in-game argument between Durant and also ahead Draymond Green lugged into the storage locker room afterward, as well as the group relatively lacked the awesome focus presented in previous seasons.
The Warriors still handled to assert the Western Conference with 57 wins, as well as they resisted the dangerous Houston Rockets in the conference semifinals in spite of shedding Durant to a strained calf bone. However, Durant's tried return in the NBA finals ended badly, as he hopped off the court with a burst Achilles ligament in the second quarter of Game 5.
Brooklyn Nets
Although Durant was expected to miss the 2019-20 NBA period as a result of his Achilles injury, it was revealed at the start of the 2019 free firm period that the celebrity onward had actually accepted a four-year deal with the Brooklyn Nets.
In March 2020, shortly after the NBA suspended its period as a result of the coronavirus episode, Durant revealed that he had checked favorable for the virus.