Biography of Kevin Durant

Kevin Wayne Durant (born September 29, 1988) is a professional basketball player. He was born in Washington D.C., United States. Durant plays the small forward position in the National Basketball Association (NBA). From a young age, he had a passion for the sport. In high school, he was a member of the basketball team and was considered the best player in the 2006 graduating class, along with Greg Oden. After graduation, Durant began playing basketball with various teams in the Maryland AAU league, where he played with Michael Beasley and Chris Braswell. His performance was outstanding, averaging 30 points per game, as well as 5 rebounds, 1.7 blocks, and 3.5 assists.

Beginnings of his basketball career

The young African American, Kevin Durant, played with Oak Hill Academy in the 2005 USA Today National Championship. During that season he was transferred to Montrose Christian School in Rockville, Maryland, coached by Stu Vetter. Durant had a spectacular performance and became the team leader. He was named the 2006 Male Basketball Player of the Year by The Washington Post. Later, he participated in the McDonald’s All American and was chosen co-MVP along with Chase Budinger. Durant spent one season at the University of Texas, where he averaged 25.8 points and 11.1 rebounds per game. At that time, his personal record for points in a game was 37.

In March 2007, Kevin Durant achieved the honor of being named the NCAA Division I Player of the Year by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC). He was also the deserving recipient of the Oscar Robertson Trophy and the Adolph F. Rupp Trophy, making him the first freshman to win both awards.

A month later, he received the Naismith Award, and six days later the John R. Wooden Award. At this time, his career was really at a high point, his name was being mentioned, respected and admired across the country. He was invited by USA Basketball to play for the national team, becoming the second freshman to achieve this, behind Greg Oden. He was selected as the second overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft by the Seattle SuperSonics.

First season

In his first season, Kevin Durant averaged 20.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.4 assists, thus earning the Rookie of the Year award ahead of Al Horford of the Atlanta Hawks. He participated in the Rookie Challenge of the All-Star Weekend in 2008, held in New Orleans, although his performance was noteworthy, they failed to win against the sophomores, losing 136-109. The team he played for became the Oklahoma City Thunder. Durant was the undisputed leader of his team. He led the team in scoring again. He played in the Rookie Challenge again, this time facing the Sophomores. As a result of this game, he achieved a record in the rookie game by scoring 46 points and capturing 7 rebounds, which was surpassed only by LeBron James.

He was also selected to the All-NBA first team in 2009. That season, he also stood out by being the NBA scoring leader.

He was also selected to play in the All-Star game during the All-Star Weekend. His team made it to the playoffs but were eliminated in the first round by the Los Angeles Lakers. He was also selected to play in the 2010 Turkey Basketball World Cup, where they won the championship and he was also named MVP. That season, he also broke his record of 3-pointers in a game, with 7 against Utah. Additionally, he was the NBA scoring leader, averaging 27.7 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists.

On the other hand, Kevin Durant was selected again for the All-Star game during the All-Star Weekend. He was known for being a humble and sociable player. He always treated the media and the public with great respect. During the NBA playoffs, his team defeated the Denver Nuggets and the Memphis Grizzlies in the Western Conference Finals, but ultimately fell to the Dallas Mavericks. He also set his rebound record in the NBA with 18 against the Minnesota Timberwolves, and participated in the NBA three-point contest. When he defeated LeBron James in the NBA three-point contest, he reaffirmed his status as one of the best players in the NBA. He was selected to the All-NBA first team. At the end of the season, Durant participated with the national team in the 2012 London Olympics, where they won the gold medal. This season his team reached the NBA Finals against the Miami Heat of LeBron James.

In the NBA playoffs, his team surprisingly lost against the Memphis Grizzlies in the conference semifinals. Two years later, he achieved a record similar to Wilt Chamberlain. Additionally, Durant was selected for the All-Star game during the All-Star Weekend. That same year, he was the NBA scoring leader.

In the NBA playoffs, his team lost in the conference finals against the San Antonio Spurs. Later on, he had to give up on the idea of going to the 2014 Basketball World Cup because of a previous injury that affected his physical condition. That season, his team did not qualify for the NBA playoffs.

2016

In 2016, Kevin Durant became a free agent with the Oklahoma City Thunder after his contract expired. In the NBA playoffs, his team was close to winning the final against the Golden State Warriors. In the summer, Kevin Durant joined the US basketball team for the 2016 Rio Olympics where they won the gold medal and his performance was widely admired. Later, he was signed by the Golden State Warriors, which was a shock to many as it was the first time he left his lifelong team.

First season with the Warriors

He was selected to play as a starter in the All-Star Game during the All-Star Weekend. In his first season with the Warriors, he won the NBA championship, his participation was essential to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers. He dedicated this victory to his mother, Wanda Pratt, with whom he has a very close relationship. As a result, he was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the Finals, with an average of 35 points in the five games played.