Kevin Durant

He is also known for his philanthropic activities. He pledged $1 million to the American Red Cross for the victims of the 2013 Moore tornado.

Kevin Wayne Durant was born in Washington D.C., on September 29, 1988. His parents are Wanda and Wayne Pratt. While he was still an infant, his father deserted the family, and the boy was raised by his mother and grandmother. He has three siblings, a sister Brianna, and two brothers Tony and Rayvonne.

Kevin grew up to be a very tall boy with a keen interest in sports. Though he was often teased about his height, his grandmother encouraged him saying that his height was actually a blessing and would help him in his athletic career. His father also returned to his life when Kevin was around thirteen and they toured the country together for basketball tournaments.

Kevin Wayne Durant began his early career by playing ‘Amateur Athletic Union’ basketball for several teams in the Maryland Area. During this time, he was introduced to future NBA Players Michael Beasley, Greivis Vásquez, and Ty Lawson.

He studied at the National Christian Academy and at the Oak Hill Academy. In both schools, he was quite active in basketball. He later transferred to Montrose Christian School, for his senior year. By this time, he had grown to a height of six feet and seven inches.

Later, for further education, he joined the University of Texas, where during the first year itself, he won both the Oscar Robertson and the Adolf F Rupp awards for his brilliant performance. Because of his exceptional basketball skills, he was considered eligible for the NBA draft after just one year of playing at college.

He got selected in the 2007 NBA draft by the Seattle SuperSonics and began his professional career. He recorded 18 points, 5 rebounds and 3 steals in his first game, against the Denver Nuggets. The first match-winning shot of his career was made in a match against the Atlanta Hawks, which took place on 16 November. His brilliant performance earned him the name of the ‘NBA Rookie of the Year’.

In the next season, his team relocated from Seattle to Oklahoma, and became the Oklahoma City Thunders. By the end of the year, Durant had raised his scoring average by five points as compared to the previous season. He was also considered for the ‘Most Improved Player Award’ though he eventually came third.

During his collegiate career in 2007, Kevin Durant won the titles of ‘Naismith College Player of the Year’, ‘Big 12 Player of the Year,’ ‘USBWA National Freshman of the Year,’ and ‘NABC Division I Player of the Year.’

He earned the ‘FIBA World Championship’ gold medal, along with the ‘FIBA World Championship Most Valuable Player’ in 2010.

Playing for the US National Team, he earned gold medals at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics.

At the NBA, Durant won the ‘NBA Rookie Challenge MVP’ (2009), ‘NBA All-Star Game MVP’, (2012), and ‘NBA Most Valuable Player’ (2014), among other honors.