Men's basketball

Representing the United States
Olympic Games
Gold	2012 London	Team
Gold	2016 Rio de Janeiro	Team
Gold	2020 Tokyo	Team
Gold	2024 Paris	Team
World Championship/World Cup
Gold	2010 Turkey	Team

Kevin Wayne Durant (born September 29, 1988), also known as KD, is an American professional basketball player for the Houston Rockets in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is considered one of the greatest basketball players of all time. Durant has won two NBA championships, an NBA Most Valuable Player Award, and four Olympic gold medals.

Durant was a top high school player and played one season of college basketball for the Texas Longhorns. He was the first freshman ever to be named the Naismith College Player of the Year. In the 2007 NBA draft, he was the second player chosen, selected by the Seattle SuperSonics.

He played for nine seasons with the team, which moved and became the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2008. In 2016, he joined the Golden State Warriors, where he won two championships in a row in 2017 and 2018. After an injury, he signed with the Brooklyn Nets in 2019. He was later traded to the Phoenix Suns in 2023 and then to the Houston Rockets in 2025. In 2021, Durant was honored as one of the 75 greatest players in NBA history by being named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.

Durant has also had great success playing for the U.S. national team. He has won four Olympic gold medals (2012, 2016, 2020, 2024) and is the all-time leading scorer for Team USA in the Olympics. He also won a gold medal at the 2010 FIBA World Championship.

Early Life and High School
College Career at Texas
Professional Career
National Team Career
Player Profile
Personal Life
See also

Early Life and High School

Kevin Durant was born on September 29, 1988, in Washington, D.C.. His parents are Wanda Durant and Wayne Pratt. His father left when he was a baby, so his mother and grandmother, Barbara Davis, raised him. His father came back into his life when he was 13 and traveled with him to basketball tournaments.

Durant grew up in Prince George's County, Maryland, near Washington, D.C. He was very tall from a young age. Growing up, his favorite team was the Toronto Raptors, and his favorite player was Vince Carter. He played youth basketball with other future NBA players like Michael Beasley and Ty Lawson. He started wearing the number 35 on his jersey to honor his youth coach, Charles Craig, who died at age 35.

Durant played for three different high schools. For his senior year, he went to Montrose Christian School. He grew five inches before that season started, making him 6 feet 7 inches tall. He was named one of the best high school players in the country.

College Career at Texas

Durant playing for the Texas Longhorns in 2007.

For the 2006–07 season, Durant played for the Texas Longhorns. By then, he had grown to 6 feet 9 inches. He had an amazing season, averaging 25.8 points and 11.1 rebounds per game.

His great performance earned him many awards. He was named the unanimous national player of the year, winning the John R. Wooden Award and the Naismith College Player of the Year award. He was the first freshman to ever win these top awards. After that one season, he decided to enter the NBA draft. The Texas Longhorns later retired his No. 35 jersey to honor him.

Professional Career

Seattle SuperSonics / Oklahoma City Thunder (2007–2016)

Durant during a practice in 2008.

Durant was the second player chosen in the 2007 NBA draft by the Seattle SuperSonics. In his first season, he averaged 20.3 points per game and was named the NBA Rookie of the Year. He was one of only three teenagers in NBA history to average over 20 points per game for a whole season.

After his first year, the team moved to Oklahoma City and became the Oklahoma City Thunder. The team also drafted Russell Westbrook, and together they became a star duo. By the 2009–10 season, Durant was an All-Star. He became the youngest player to win the NBA scoring title, averaging 30.1 points per game.

Making the NBA Finals

Durant scores with a slam dunk in March 2011.

Durant continued to be a top scorer, winning the scoring title again in the next two seasons. In the 2011–12 season, he led the Thunder to the 2012 NBA Finals. They played against the Miami Heat but lost the series. Durant played very well, averaging 30.6 points per game in the Finals.

MVP Season

In the 2013–14 season, Durant had his best year yet. He averaged 32 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game. He was voted the NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP). During his emotional MVP speech, he famously called his mother, Wanda, "the real MVP."

Final Seasons in Oklahoma City

Durant had to miss many games in the 2014–15 season because of a foot injury. He returned healthy for the next season. In the 2016 NBA playoffs, he led the Thunder to the Western Conference Finals against the Golden State Warriors. The Thunder had a 3–1 series lead but lost in seven games.

Golden State Warriors (2016–2019)

Durant after a Warriors practice in 2017.

In July 2016, Durant announced he was signing with the Golden State Warriors. This was a big surprise to many people. He joined a team that already had star players like Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green.

Two Championships

With Durant, the Warriors became an even more powerful team. In his first season, they won the 2017 NBA championship. Durant was the team's top scorer in every Finals game and was named the NBA Finals MVP.

The next year, the Warriors did it again. They won the 2018 NBA championship, and Durant was again named the Finals MVP. He had an amazing performance in Game 3 of the Finals, scoring a playoff career-high 43 points.

Injury in the Finals

Durant playing for the Warriors in 2019.

In 2019, the Warriors were trying to win their third championship in a row. They made it to the 2019 NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors. Durant had been injured earlier in the playoffs but returned for Game 5.

Sadly, he suffered a serious Achilles tendon injury in the second quarter of the game. The Warriors won that game but lost the series in Game 6.

Brooklyn Nets (2019–2023)

In the summer of 2019, Durant signed with the Brooklyn Nets. Because of his Achilles injury, he missed the entire 2019–20 season. He returned to the court in December 2020.

In Brooklyn, he teamed up with other stars like Kyrie Irving and James Harden. In the 2021 NBA playoffs, Durant had one of the best games of his career. In Game 5 against the Milwaukee Bucks, he scored 49 points with 17 rebounds and 10 assists. In Game 7, he scored 48 points, the most ever in a Game 7 at the time. However, the Nets lost the series.

After a few seasons with some disagreements in the team, Durant requested a trade in 2022.

Phoenix Suns (2023–2025)

On February 9, 2023, Durant was traded to the Phoenix Suns. He chose to wear his old number, 35. In his first season with the Suns, he became the first player in NBA history to shoot over 55% from the field, 40% from three-point range, and 90% from the free-throw line in the same season.

During the 2023–24 season, Durant continued to break records. He passed many legends on the NBA's all-time scoring list, moving into the top 10. He passed Hakeem Olajuwon, Moses Malone, Carmelo Anthony, and Shaquille O'Neal. The Suns were swept in the first round of the playoffs by the Minnesota Timberwolves.

In the 2024-25 season, Durant reached 30,000 career points. However, injuries caused him to miss many games, and the Suns did not make the playoffs.

Houston Rockets (2025–present)

On July 6, 2025, Durant was traded to the Houston Rockets as part of a huge seven-team trade, the largest in NBA history.

National Team Career

Durant at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

Durant has had a legendary career with the U.S. national team. He first played for Team USA at the 2010 FIBA World Championship, where he led the team to a gold medal and was named the tournament's MVP.

He has played in four Olympic Games and won a gold medal every time.

2012 London: Won his first gold medal.
2016 Rio de Janeiro: Won his second gold medal.
2020 Tokyo: Won his third gold medal and was named the tournament's MVP. He also became Team USA's all-time leading scorer in the Olympics.
2024 Paris: Won his fourth gold medal, becoming the first male basketball player to ever win four Olympic golds.

Durant is the all-time leader for Team USA in many Olympic categories, including points and rebounds.

Player Profile

Durant playing in a charity game in 2011.

Durant is officially listed as 6 feet 11 inches tall and plays the small forward position. He is known as one of the best scorers in the history of basketball. He can score from anywhere on the court. He won four NBA scoring titles in five years between 2010 and 2014.

His height and long arms make it very difficult for defenders to block his shot. Early in his career, some people said he needed to improve his defense and passing. Over the years, he worked hard and became a much better defender and playmaker. When he played for the Warriors, he became an excellent rim protector.

Personal Life

Durant is very close to his mother, Wanda. He is a Christian and has several religious tattoos. He is also known for his charity work. In 2013, he donated $1 million to the American Red Cross to help victims of a tornado in Oklahoma.

Durant is also a businessman. He and his business partner Rich Kleiman started a company called Thirty Five Ventures. The company produces movies and TV shows and invests in other businesses. A TV show called Swagger, which is inspired by Durant's life, premiered in 2021.

Kevin Durant facts for kids

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