Kevin Durant Basketball Player: Biography, Career, Achievements

Kevin Wayne Durant (born September 29, 1988), also known by his initials KD, is an American professional basketball player for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "the Slim Reaper", he is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players and one of the greatest scorers of all time. Durant has won two NBA championships, an NBA Most Valuable Player Award, two NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Awards, two NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Awards, four NBA scoring titles, the NBA Rookie of the Year Award, and is the only male basketball player to win four Olympic gold medals. He has been named to 12 All-NBA teams (including six First Teams) and selected 16 times as an NBA All-Star. In 2021, Durant was named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.

Durant was born on September 29, 1988, in Washington, D.C., to Wanda (n e Durant) and Wayne Pratt. He played one season of college basketball for the Texas Longhorns, during which he won numerous year-end awards and became the first freshman to be named Naismith College Player of the Year. Durant was selected as the second overall pick by the Seattle SuperSonics in the 2007 NBA draft. He played nine seasons with the franchise (which became the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2008), leading them to a Finals appearance in 2012 and winning the MVP award for the 2013-2014 season. In a controversial move, he later signed with the Golden State Warriors in 2016, who had won a record 73 regular season games the previous year. Durant won consecutive NBA championships and Finals MVPs in 2017 and 2018. After sustaining an Achilles injury in the 2019 NBA Finals, he joined the Brooklyn Nets as a free agent that summer. Following disagreements with the Nets' front office, he requested a trade during the 2022 offseason and was traded to the Phoenix Suns the following year. After two full seasons with Phoenix, Durant was traded to the Houston Rockets in July 2025. As a member of the U.S. national team, Durant has won four gold medals in the Olympics (2012, 2016, 2020 and 2024), and is the leading scorer in Team USA's Olympic basketball history. He also won gold at the 2010 FIBA World Championship.

What is Kevin Durant's biography?

Kevin Wayne Durant was born September 29, 1988, in Suitland, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C. He is an American professional basketball player for the Houston Rockets, and he is 37 years old. When Durant was an infant, his father deserted the family, his mother Wanda and grandmother Barbara Davis helped raise him. Durant has a sister, Brianna, and two brothers, Tony and Rayvonne. He grew up in Prince George's County, Maryland. He was unusually tall from a young age, reaching 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) in middle school. Growing up, Durant wanted to play for his favorite team, the Toronto Raptors, and his favorite player was Vince Carter. He played Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) basketball and began wearing #35 in honor of his AAU coach, Charles Craig, who was murdered at age 35.

After playing high school basketball at National Christian Academy, Oak Hill Academy, and Montrose Christian School, Durant grew 5 inches (12.7 cm) and committed to the University of Texas. He played one season of college basketball for the Texas Longhorns, averaging 25.8 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game, and became the first freshman to be named Naismith College Player of the Year. He then declared for the NBA draft. He won Rookie of the Year, and the franchise became the Oklahoma City Thunder. In Oklahoma City, he won four scoring titles and the NBA Most Valuable Player Award in 2014. He later signed with the Golden State Warriors in 2016, winning back-to-back NBA championships and Finals MVP awards in 2017 and 2018. He joined the Brooklyn Nets in 2019, was traded to the Phoenix Suns in 2023, and after two full seasons there, was traded to the Houston Rockets in 2025. As a member of the U.S. national team, he has won four Olympic gold medals.

Off the court, Durant has never married and has no children. He was briefly engaged to WNBA player Monica Wright in 2013. Durant is a Christian and has religious tattoos. He has exophoria, a form of strabismus, and his eye color is not publicly known. He is also known for his philanthropy, including pledging $1 million to the American Red Cross for the victims of the 2013 Moore tornado.

What was Kevin Durant's early life like?

Kevin Durant was born on September 29, 1988, just outside of Washington D.C. in Suitland, Maryland. He was one of four children: sister Brianna, and brothers Tony and Rayvonne. His parents were Wanda and Wayne Pratt, but his father left the family when Kevin was very young. So, his mom raised him as a single parent, with help from his grandmother Barbara Davis. Because of financial strain, they moved from apartment to apartment, and times were tough. Moving made disruptions in friendships and schools, but his family always had love and support.

He was unusually tall from a young age, and by middle school he reached 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m). Because he was very tall, he was bullied and teased for always being the tallest in class. However, his grandmother and mother told him his height was a blessing, which helped his confidence. His mom wrote a note that hung over his bed: "Always believe that anything is possible." That's why he worked very hard. He began playing basketball with the PG Jaguars, an AAU team in Prince George's County, Maryland. He wore #35 in honor of his AAU coach, Charles Craig, who was killed at age 35. Craig was his youth basketball mentor and guided him as a young player.

During high school, Kevin grew 17.78 centimeters to nearly 2.11 meters. He played at National Christian Academy, Montrose Christian School, and Oak Hill Academy. By age 13, his father Wayne reentered his life and they became close. Growing up, his favorite player was Vince Carter, and he wanted to play for the Toronto Raptors. Thanks to his mother's support, he practiced 8 hours a day for 6 years straight, failing many times but always getting up. His upbringing in PG County, a place with a very strong basketball history, shaped his path to becoming one of the best basketball players in league history.

What is Kevin Durant's educational background?

Kevin Durant attended National Christian Academy in Fort Washington, Maryland, Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Virginia, and Montrose Christian School in Rockville, Maryland. He played two years of high school basketball at National Christian Academy and one year at Oak Hill Academy, then transferred to Montrose Christian School for his senior year. By the way, Montrose Christian School is a private religious high school. During high school, Kevin grew 17.78 centimeters very fast, nearly to his height of 1.83 meters, 27.94 centimeters, which is why he is so tall. At Montrose, he was named First Team All-American by USA Today and Parade Magazine after he averaged 23.6 points, 10.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 3.0 steals and 2.6 blocks. Thanks to that, he committed to the University of Texas at Austin.

He played one season of college basketball for the Texas Longhorns in 2006-2007. He led the Big 12 Conference in scoring average (25.8 points per game), rebounding average (11.1 rebounds per game), and blocked shots (67) as well. That's when he got college basketball's best player of the year prize and consensus nationwide honors. He also got eight country of the year honors. However, he did not finish his major and does not have a degree. He quit the University of Texas after his first year because he joined a pro basketball draft in 2007. He was selected by the Seattle SuperSonics with the second overall pick.

Kevin Durant attended class at the University of Texas, but information about his classes is not available. He developed discipline and got education there. He has a goal to graduate, but he does not have a degree. He got a standard diploma from high school. The University of Texas put Kevin Durant into the Hall of Honor in 2022 and retired his number 35 jersey. He has not done any postNBA educational program.

What was Kevin Durant's early career?

Kevin's success started with the PG Jaguars, an Amateur Athletic Union youth basketball team in Prince George's County, Maryland. The team won two national championships during his tenure. During high school, Kevin grew 17.78 centimeters, nearly to his current height of 1.83 meters, 27.94 centimeters. He played for the National Christian Academy and Montrose Christian School, both in Maryland, and for basketball powerhouse Oak Hill Academy, located in Virginia. After his senior year, he was named to Parade magazine's "First Team" list and to USA Today's "First Team All-American" list. He was widely regarded as the second-best high school prospect of 2006, behind Greg Oden.

He played one season of college basketball for the Texas Longhorns, averaging 25.8 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game. He won numerous year-end awards and became the first freshman to be named Naismith College Player of the Year. He led Texas to the second round of the NCAA tournament, where the team lost to USC.

Durant was selected as the second overall pick in the 2007 NBA draft by the Seattle SuperSonics. He averaged 20.3 points per game that season and was the runaway winner of the NBA Rookie of the Year award. 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. Kevin Durant has been in the NBA for 18 Yrs.

How many teams has Kevin Durant played for?

In his 18 seasons in the league, Durant has played for five different franchises, but six different teams, since the Sonics became the Thunder after moving to OKC. Kevin Durant played for the Thunder from 2007-08 to 2015-16, signed up with the Warriors from 2016-17 to 2018-19, joined the Nets as a free agent from 2020-21 to 2022-23, played for the Suns from 2022-23 to 2024-25 and the Rockets from 2024-25 to 2025-26.

His original team, and first team, Oklahoma City drafted him second overall in 2007 when the franchise was still based in Seattle. The Rockets will be his fifth NBA franchise and fourth in the last six years. He also became the first player in NBA history to score at least 40 points in a regular-season game for five different teams.

What is Kevin Durant's career timeline?

He was selected second overall in the 2007 NBA draft by the Seattle SuperSonics. He became Rookie of the Year and a four-time scoring champion. He played nine seasons with the franchise, which relocated to become the Oklahoma City Thunder after his Rookie of the Year campaign. He led them to a Finals appearance in 2012 and won the MVP award for the 2013-2014 season.

In a controversial move, he signed with the Golden State Warriors in 2016. They had won a record 73 regular season games the previous year. He led them to back-to-back NBA championships.

Following disagreements with the Nets' front office, he requested a trade during the 2022 offseason and was traded to the Phoenix Suns midway through the 2022-23 season.

How many rings does Kevin Durant have?

Kevin Durant has won 2 NBA Championship rings. He won consecutive championships with the Golden State Warriors in 2017 and 2018, and he won Finals MVP both times. That's when he got his two rings, alongside with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. Currently, the Phoenix Suns forward holds two championship rings, and he has 0 pro titles with teams other than the Golden State team. So, his second championship ring came in 2018.

What are all Kevin Durant awards?

Kevin Durant has won two NBA championships, four NBA scoring titles, two NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Awards, two NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Awards, an NBA Most Valuable Player Award, and the NBA Rookie of the Year Award. He is the only male basketball player to win four Olympic gold medals. He has been selected to 16 NBA All-Star Games and has earned All-NBA honors 12 times, including six First Teams and four Second Teams.

In college, Durant was the consensus national player of the year, winning the John R. Wooden Award, the Naismith College Player of the Year Award, and all eight other widely recognized honors and awards. He was also Big 12 Player of the Year, Big 12 Freshman of the Year, and a first-team All-American. He earned Big 12 Tournament Most Valuable Player and his number 35 is retired at Texas.

Durant is a three-time USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year and was named MVP of the 2010 FIBA World Championship. He has also been named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team, the NBA Cup All-Tournament Team, and has won 14 NBA Player of the Month awards, 31 NBA Player of the Week awards, and 5 NBA Rookie of the Month awards.

What are some interesting facts about Kevin Durant?

Interesting facts about Kevin Durant are given in the list below.

• Kevin born on September 29, 1988, in Washington, D.C., U.S.
• Kevin attended University of Texas for one season
• Kevin won NBA Rookie of the Year award
• Kevin won 2013-14 NBA MVP award
• Kevin won two NBA championships with Golden State Warriors
• Kevin has four Olympic gold medals (2012,2016,2020,2024)
• Kevin wears #35 in honor of murdered AAU coach Charles Craig
• Kevin became youngest NBA scoring champion
• Kevin surpassed Michael Jordan's record for consecutive 25+ point games at 41
• Kevin became first male athlete to win four Olympic gold medals in team sport

Kevin Durant is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players and one of the greatest scorers of all time. Nicknamed "the Slim Reaper", he began wearing #35 as his jersey number in honor of his AAU coach, Charles Craig, who was murdered at the age of 35. He is 1.83 meters (6 feet) tall, but he has stated that his height in shoes was actually 2.13 meters (7 feet), because he understated his height to be listed as a small forward, not a power forward. He has the size of a center but could move like a shooting guard on the floor, and that's why he is best known for his prodigious scoring ability.

Durant ranks fifth among NBA career scoring leaders and has the sixth highest career regular season scoring average in NBA history. He is one of only eight NBA players to record more than 30,000 career points in the regular season, and he ranks second among active players behind LeBron James. He became the youngest NBA scoring champion with a scoring average of 30.1 points per game, and he surpassed Michael Jordan's record for consecutive games scoring 25 points or more at 41. That's when he became the youngest player in NBA history to join the 50-40-90 club. By the way, he's only one of three teenagers to average at least 20 points per game over an entire season, like Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James.

As for his Olympic career, Kevin Durant is the most decorated men's Olympic basketball player ever, having won four gold medals. In 2024, he became the first male athlete to win four Olympics gold medals in a team sport. He owns nine U.S. Olympic men's career records, including the top spot for points, rebounds, 3-point field goals, field goals, and free throws. His 20.7 points per game set a U.S. Olympic men's single-competition record for points averaged. In real life, Durant has never married and has no children. He is a Christian who attended Baptist schools, and he pledged $1 million to the American Red Cross for the victims of the 2013 Moore tornado. His hometown announced Kevin Durant Day on August 17, 2017 in honor of his contributions. He also became a minority owner of MLS side Philadelphia Union in 2020.