Kevin Durant is often considered to be one of the greatest modern basketball stars, and generally one of the best players of all time. After spending nearly ten years with a single team, Durant started seeking other teams in order to find success, and even today there is plenty of speculation on where he’ll be headed next.
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Most people are aware of his general stats and records that are often spoken about. He’s a 2-time NBA champion and was an MVP in both of those finals, a 12-time all-star, and he was even named NBA Rookie OF The Year in his rookie season. He’s been impressing sports fans for more than a decade so there is bound to be lots to learn about Durant.
10 He Is A Three-Time Gold Medalist
Even NBA fans are guilty of completely forgetting about basketball competition in the Olympics despite the US team often being filled with stars. Due to that, a lot of people might not know that Kevin Durant is actually a multi-time Olympic gold medalist.
In 2012, 2016, and 2020, Durant was a member of the US Olympic basketball team, and they managed to dominate the competition each and every year. To be fair, he’s far from the only major contributing member of the team, but it doesn't make the feat any less impressive.
9 He Was 6ft Tall In Middle School
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports<\/p>\n""> Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
There is a surprising amount of basketball stars who were actually relatively short before they hit their inevitable growth spurts. Kevin Durant had the exact opposite experience, apparently winding up around roughly 6ft tall while he was in middle school.
That kind of height that early in his life could have made things hard for him on a personal level, but he was likely sought after for every sports team he was near. Luckily, Durant was a skilled athlete, so his height was simply a cherry on top of his skill.
8 His Favorite Team Growing Up Was The Raptors
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports<\/p>\n""> Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Having been born and grown up in Washington, a lot of people might have expected them to have Durant’s favorite basketball team, but he’s admitted that isn’t the case. Instead, Durant has said that his favorite team growing up was the Toronto Raptors.
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He also noted that Vince Carter was one of his favorite players, someone who is often credited for bringing a lot of eyes to Canadian basketball in general. With recent rumors, it’s possible that Durant could end up playing for his childhood favorites one day.
7 He Only Played A Single College Season
Most people nowadays consider Durant to be one of the greatest players of all time, but they may not know how impressive he was before most people took notice. Durant was so impressive on the court that he only needed to play a single season of college basketball.
With just a single season of play he managed to get drafted second overall in the 2007 NBA Draft. In just a single season, Durant managed to show the entire world how much of a boost he would be to any NBA team that drafted him, something he managed to back up when he made it to the league.
6 He Set An Impressive Standard As A Teenager
Some people aren’t aware of some of the stats that make Durant as legendary as he is, but he truly is in the same conversation as names like Lebron James. While playing as a rookie in the NBA at the age of 19, Durant showed the rest of the league what top-level play looked like.
In his rookie season, Durant managed to average twenty points per game, making him one of three teenagers in NBA history to do that. The only other men who did the same are Lebron James and Carmelo Anthony.
5 He Won 4 Scoring Titles In 5 Years
Serious credit needs to go to Durant’s scoring capabilities. It’s already impressive enough to win a single scoring title, but Durant managed to win four in a span of five years. Even more impressive, he won three of them in consecutive years.
Earning scoring titles in 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2014, Durant often seemed like an unstoppable force on the court. Few NBA players could have ever hoped to reach an accolade like that, and few NBA stars will ever be able to replicate that incredible feat.
4 He Was Still Growing While He Was In The NBA
Since Durant managed to join the NBA at such a young age, he was actually still growing while he was competing. It’s probably something many players wished happened to them as Durant’s stock in the NBA likely only increased as his height grew.
He’s been said to have continued to grow over his early years in the league, eventually reaching an impressive 6’11”. Everything about Durant continued to grow from his height to his incredible play on the court, eventually leading to the legend he is today.
3 He Opened His Own Restaurant
A lot of NBA stars eventually come to some kind of realization that there is more to life than just basketball. That leads many to seek other ventures outside of the NBA, and Durant was absolutely no different.
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He did something that many sports stars end up doing, he began his own restaurant, KD’s Southern Cuisine. While there isn’t much information on it these days, it was likely an interesting experiment for Durant to branch out into other business ventures. The restaurant likely set the stage for his many modern pursuits.
2 He’s a YouTuber
Yes, really. Kevin Durant isn’t just the average YouTuber either, he’s actually relatively popular. The channel Boardroom has shifted over the years, but Durant often makes appearances to discuss the state of basketball, and offer his own opinions on burning questions.
The channel certainly won’t be for everyone, but Durant fans will likely love being able to delve into their hero's mind. Hearing Durant speaks about the things he cares about most is just another way for his fans to connect with the star off the court.
1 He’s Been Involved With A Few Productions
Durant proved that he has a passion for content with his YouTube channel, and it seems that more than a few people took notice. At one point, Durant was linked with Apple to create a kind of basketball-themed show for their own programming.
He also in part started Thirty Five Ventures, and he was a part of getting various productions made. One of which is a notable basketball documentary, but the company also seems interested in producing short films as well. It just goes to show that Durant is capable of excelling at everything he does.
