(Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
When people talk NBA basketball, small forward Kevin Durant is now a household name, but it wasn’t always that way. The tall, slender shooter grew up in Prince George’s County, Maryland, on the eastern outskirts of Washington, D.C. He was unusually tall from a young age, and reached 6 ft in height while still in middle school (age 13–14).
When Durant was an infant, his father deserted the family; Wanda and Wayne eventually divorced, and Durant’s grandmother Barbara Davis helped raise him. By age 13, his father reentered his life and traveled the country with him to basketball tournaments.
(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
But it was in 2014, that the Oklahoma City Thunder high scorer really became known. That year, Kevin won his first NBA MVP award. But his humble, emotional acceptance speech in front of fans and teammates outdid anything he did on the court all season. So much so, that his speech has gone viral with views in hundreds of thousands.
If you don’t tear up after watching this tribute, then you probably don’t have a pulse and have bigger issue. Watch this loving tribute to Kevin’s mom (feel free to grab tissue).
“Mom, you had my brother, when you were 18 years old, 3 years later I came out. The odds were stacked against us. Single mother with two boys at 21 years old. Everybody told us we weren’t supposed to be here. We moved from apartment to apartment… You made us believe. You kept us off the street. You put clothes on our backs, food on the table. when you didn’t eat, you made sure we ate and you went to sleep hungry. You sacrificed for us.
You’re the real MVP.”
-Kevin Durant
2014 NBA Most Valuable Player
When Durant was just an infant, his father deserted the family; Wanda and Wayne eventually divorced, and Durant’s grandmother Barbara Davis helped raise him. By age 13, his father re-entered his life and traveled the country with him to basketball tournaments. Durant has a sister, Brianna, and two brothers, Tony and Rayvonne.
Durant and his siblings grew up in Prince George’s County, Maryland, on the eastern outskirts of Washington, D.C. He was unusually tall from a young age, and reached 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) in height while still in middle school (age 13–14). Growing up, Durant wanted to play for his favorite team, the Toronto Raptors, which included his favorite player, Vince Carter. He played Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) basketball for several teams in the Maryland area and was teammates with future NBA players Michael Beasley, Greivis Vásquez, and Ty Lawson, the first of whom Durant remains friends with to this day. During this time, he began wearing #35 as his jersey number in honor of his AAU coach, Charles Craig, who was murdered at the age of 35.
Early in Durant’s career, he was criticized for his slim build, defense, and passing.[162] Over time, he grew as a playmaker, increasing his assist numbers every year from 2010 to 2014, though his overall vision still lagged behind the league’s best passers’. He also showed defensive improvement, with opponents averaging just .62 points per isolation play against him in 2014, the best success rate for defensive players who faced at least 100 isolations that season. Upon going to Golden State, he developed into a more reliable off-ball defender and rim protector, and in 2018 was considered for the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award.
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