Kevin Durant Bio
Kevin Wayne Durant, born September 29, 1988, in Washington, D.C., is an American professional basketball player who currently competes for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Standing 6 feet 11 inches tall and weighing about 240 pounds, Durant is widely regarded as one of the greatest scorers in the history of the sport, ranking eighth on the NBA’s all-time career scoring list. Over the course of his career, he has captured two NBA championships, an NBA Most Valuable Player Award, two NBA Finals MVP Awards, four Olympic gold medals, and four NBA scoring titles.
Selected as the second overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft by the Seattle SuperSonics, Durant has played for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Golden State Warriors, Brooklyn Nets, and Phoenix Suns before joining the Houston Rockets in July 2025. Known by his initials KD and the nickname “Easy Money Sniper,” he has been voted to 15 NBA All-Star Games and selected to 11 All-NBA Teams. Off the court, Durant co-founded Thirty Five Ventures, serves as an executive producer in media, and has become one of the highest-earning athletes in the world through endorsements and investments.
Early Life and Background
Kevin Wayne Durant was born to Wanda Durant and Wayne Pratt on September 29, 1988, in Washington, D.C. His father left the family when Kevin was an infant, and his mother eventually divorced. Kevin was raised in large part by his grandmother, Barbara Davis, in Prince George’s County, Maryland, just outside the nation’s capital. He grew up alongside a sister, Brianna, and two brothers, Tony and Rayvonne. By the time he was 13, his father had re-entered his life, and the two traveled together to basketball tournaments across the country.
From a young age, Durant towered over his peers, reaching 6 feet tall by the time he was in middle school. He developed a love for the game while watching Vince Carter and the Toronto Raptors, and he dreamed of one day playing for that franchise. Durant played Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) basketball in the Maryland area alongside future NBA players Michael Beasley, Greivis Vásquez, and Ty Lawson. It was during this period that he chose the jersey number 35 in honor of his AAU coach, Charles Craig, who had been murdered at the age of 35.
Durant attended National Christian Academy for two years and Oak Hill Academy for one year before transferring to Montrose Christian School for his senior season. In the months before his final high school campaign, he grew five inches, beginning the year at 6 feet 7 inches. He committed to the University of Texas at Austin over several other programs, saying he “wanted to set my own path.” By the end of his senior year, he was named the Washington Post All-Met Basketball Player of the Year and the Most Valuable Player of the 2006 McDonald’s All-American Game.
Path to Basketball
Durant arrived at the University of Texas at Austin as one of the most decorated recruits in the program’s history. During his lone season with the Texas Longhorns in 2006-07, he averaged 25.8 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game, leading the team to a 25-10 overall record and a trip to the NCAA Tournament. Texas won its first-round matchup against New Mexico State before being upset by USC in the second round, despite a 30-point, nine-rebound performance from Durant.
His college campaign earned him nearly every major national player of the year honor, including the John R. Wooden Award and the Naismith College Player of the Year Award, making him the first freshman ever to win those distinctions. The Longhorns later retired his No. 35 jersey. Following the season, Durant declared for the 2007 NBA Draft, where he was selected second overall by the Seattle SuperSonics, behind Greg Oden.
Kevin Durant Career
Early Career (2007-2010)
Durant debuted with the Seattle SuperSonics during the 2007-08 season and immediately made an impact, winning the NBA Rookie of the Year Award after averaging 20.3 points per game. When the franchise relocated to Oklahoma City and became the Thunder in 2008, he continued to develop into one of the league’s most promising young scorers. Teaming with Russell Westbrook and James Harden, he helped transform the Thunder into a Western Conference contender.
By his third season, Durant had emerged as a perennial All-Star and one of the league’s elite offensive players. He won his first NBA scoring title in 2009-10, averaging 30.1 points per game, signaling the arrival of a new superstar in Oklahoma City. The team posted a 50-win season and reached the Western Conference Finals, where they fell to the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers in six games.
Oklahoma City Thunder Breakthrough (2010-2016)
Durant’s prime years in Oklahoma City established him as one of the most dominant scorers of his generation. He won four scoring titles from 2010 to 2014, becoming one of only two players to capture four scoring crowns in a five-year span. In 2012, he led the Thunder to the NBA Finals, where they lost to the Miami Heat in five games. The following season, he captured the league’s MVP Award for 2013-14, averaging 32.0 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game.
Despite his individual success, the Thunder were unable to return to the Finals during his tenure. Knee and foot injuries limited him during the 2014-15 campaign, and the team was eliminated in the Western Conference Finals in 2016 by the Golden State Warriors. Following that loss, Durant opted to sign with the Warriors as a free agent, a decision that would reshape his career and the league’s competitive landscape.
Golden State Warriors Era (2016-2019)
Durant joined a Golden State Warriors team that had won a record 73 regular-season games the previous year, forming a formidable lineup alongside Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green. His first season culminated in a 2017 NBA Championship and Finals MVP Award after he delivered a 35-point performance in the deciding Game 5 against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Warriors went 16-1 in the playoffs that year, the best postseason record in NBA history.
In 2018, Durant won his second consecutive championship and Finals MVP, again defeating the Cavaliers. During the 2019 NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors, he suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon that sidelined him for the following season. Despite the injury, he had cemented his legacy as one of the greatest players of his era in Golden State, where he developed into a more reliable off-ball defender and rim protector.
Brooklyn Nets Era (2019-2023)
Durant signed a four-year, $164.3 million contract with the Brooklyn Nets in July 2019. He sat out the entire 2019-20 season while recovering from his Achilles injury and later tested positive for COVID-19 in March 2020. When he finally debuted for the Nets in December 2020, he scored 22 points against his former Warriors team in a 125-99 victory. He earned his fourth scoring title that season, averaging 26.9 points per game.
After a hamstring injury cost him 23 games in 2021, Durant returned to lead the Nets to the Eastern Conference Semifinals, where he produced one of the most iconic performances of his career. In Game 5 against the Milwaukee Bucks, he posted 49 points, 17 rebounds, and 10 assists, and he followed it with 48 points in Game 7, narrowly missing a game-winning three-pointer when his toe was ruled on the line. He signed a four-year, $198 million extension in August 2021, but recurring injuries and disagreements with the organization led to a trade request in 2022.
Phoenix Suns Era (2023-2025)
Durant was traded to the Phoenix Suns in February 2023 and made his debut on March 1, scoring 23 points in a 105-91 win over the Charlotte Hornets. He finished the regular season with a perfect 8-0 record in his appearances, averaging 26.0 points, and became the first player in NBA history to shoot 55 percent from the field, 40 percent from three-point range, and 90 percent from the free throw line in a single season. The Suns reached the second round of the playoffs before being eliminated by the eventual champion Denver Nuggets.
During the 2023-24 campaign, Durant averaged 27.1 points per game and was selected to his 14th All-Star Game. On February 11, 2025, he reached 30,000 career points, becoming just the eighth player in NBA history to achieve the milestone. An ankle injury in late March ended his season prematurely, and the Suns finished 11th in the Western Conference, missing the playoffs.
Houston Rockets Era (2025-Present)
In July 2025, Durant was traded to the Houston Rockets, embarking on a new chapter in his career. Under contract through 2027, he joined a young Rockets team aiming to climb the Western Conference standings. His veteran presence and elite scoring ability are expected to play a central role in the franchise’s pursuit of a championship.
Driving Style and Strengths
Durant is celebrated for his rare combination of size, length, and shooting touch. Standing 6 feet 11 inches with a 7-foot-4 wingspan, he creates matchup nightmares for defenders because he can shoot over nearly any opponent. Early in his career, he relied heavily on isolation scoring, but he developed into an elite off-ball player capable of draining shots from anywhere on the floor. By 2013, he was shooting at a historically great clip, joining the exclusive 50-40-90 club and demonstrating his efficiency. His court vision and passing have continued to improve, making him a complete offensive force.
Notable Events and Milestones
Durant’s career is marked by historic achievements, including four Olympic gold medals with Team USA in 2012, 2016, 2020, and 2024, making him the all-time leading scorer in U.S. Olympic men’s basketball history. He is the only player in basketball history to win MVP honors in the NBA, the Olympics, and the FIBA World Cup. Other milestones include surpassing 30,000 career points in February 2025 and being named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021.
Kevin Durant Career Wins
Kevin Durant has compiled an extraordinary list of accomplishments across every level of basketball. His collection includes two NBA championships, two NBA Finals MVP Awards, one NBA MVP Award, four NBA scoring titles, and an NBA Rookie of the Year Award. He has also won four Olympic gold medals and a FIBA World Championship, making him one of the most decorated players in the history of the sport.
NBA Highlights
Durant earned back-to-back NBA championships and Finals MVP Awards in 2017 and 2018 with the Golden State Warriors. He was named NBA MVP in 2013-14 and won his first scoring title in 2009-10, capturing four in total by 2013-14. He is a 15-time NBA All-Star and has been selected to 11 All-NBA Teams, including six First Team selections.
International Highlights
Durant led Team USA to gold medals at the 2010 FIBA World Championship and four consecutive Olympic Games in 2012, 2016, 2020, and 2024. He is the all-time leading scorer in U.S. Olympic men’s basketball history and was named FIBA tournament MVP in both 2010 and 2021. His 2024 gold medal made him the first male athlete to win four Olympic gold medals in a team sport.
Kevin Durant Family
Family Background and Basketball Lineage
Durant was raised primarily by his mother, Wanda Durant, and his grandmother, Barbara Davis, in Prince George’s County, Maryland. His mother played a central role in his development and personal life, and their bond was highlighted in the Lifetime movie “The Real MVP: The Wanda Durant Story.” His father, Wayne Pratt, returned to his life when Kevin was 13 and traveled with him to basketball tournaments around the country.
Personal Life
Durant is a Christian who attended Baptist schools and has religious tattoos on his stomach, wrist, and back. He was briefly engaged to WNBA player Monica Wright in 2013. In 2017, his hometown of Seat Pleasant, Maryland, declared August 17 as “Kevin Durant Day” in honor of his contributions to the community and his back-to-back NBA Championships. He co-founded Thirty Five Ventures with Rich Kleiman in 2017, overseeing business ventures, media projects, and philanthropic efforts.
2025 Season Performance
Durant’s 2024-25 season with the Phoenix Suns began with promise, as he led the team to a franchise-record 8-1 start before a left calf strain in November 2024 cost him seven games. Upon his return, he reached 29,000 career points and later crossed the 30,000-point threshold in February 2025, becoming the eighth player in NBA history to do so. He was named a Western Conference starter for the 2025 NBA All-Star Game, his 15th overall selection. His campaign was cut short, however, when an ankle injury in late March forced him to miss the rest of the season, and the Suns finished 11th in the Western Conference.
Following the season, Durant was traded to the Houston Rockets in July 2025, embarking on a new chapter with a young and talented roster. Signed through 2027, he brings championship experience and elite scoring ability to a team eager to climb the Western Conference standings. His partnership with rising stars and his veteran leadership will be central to the Rockets’ ambitions in the seasons ahead.