If you like to read NBA Players’ biographies, here’s an essential one, the Kevin Durant Biography.
Kevin Durant Biography: Professional Career
Here’s a recount on the career of one of the top players in the recent history of the NBA.
Let’s start with some stats:
- 2× NBA champion (2017, 2018)
- 2× NBA Finals MVP (2017, 2018)
- NBA Most Valuable Player (2014)
- 10× NBA All-Star (2010–2019)
- 2× NBA All-Star Game MVP (2012, 2019)
- 6× All-NBA First Team (2010–2014, 2018)
- 3× All-NBA Second Team (2016, 2017, 2019)
- NBA Rookie of the Year (2008)
- NBA All-Rookie First Team (2008)
- 4× NBA scoring champion (2010–2012, 2014)
- 50–40–90 club (2013)
- Consensus National College Player of the Year (2007)
- Consensus first-team All-American (2007)
- Big 12 Player of the Year (2007)
- No. 35 retired by the University of Texas
- FIBA World Championship MVP (2010)
- 2× USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year (2010, 2016)
- McDonald’s All-American Game MVP (2007)
Seattle SuperSonics
Durant started his NBA career after being selected as the second overall pick of the 2007 NBA draft by the SuperSonics. At the end of his first season, he was named NBA Rookie of the Year. He also joined the ranks of LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony as the only teen players in the history of the league to average at least twenty points per match during a full season.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Following this first successful season, his team moved to Oklahoma City, getting baptized as the Thunder, and switching jersey colors. At this point, the team was recruiting the talents of then UCLA guard Russell Westbrook, who would go on to form a powerful duo with Durant later on. During the 2009-10 season, Durant was averaging 30 points per match, and this allowed him to become the youngest NBA scoring champion. He also obtained his first All-Star selection during this period.
Durant and his team also made it to the 2010 playoffs, but they fell to the Lakers during the first round by four games to two.
Everybody was impressed about the high quality of Durant and the rest of the OKC franchise, getting labeled as future title contenders.
2010-2013 = Playoff Runs
Before the 2010-11 season even began, the Thunder offered Durant a 5-year extension worth around $86 million, and he immediately proved to OKC fans that he was worth every single penny.
That same year he was leading the league in scoring with 27 points per match. Under his leadership, the Thunder was able to get 55 victories and sealed the fourth seed in the Western Conference.
During the postseason, OKC took down the Nuggets and the Grizzlies, to then lose the Conference Finals to the Mavericks in five games.
2011-12 marked the first time when Durant was able to score 50 points on a single game.
He also received the NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award during this season, and also finished as the top league scorer, with 28 points per game.
The Thunder won 47 games and entered the postseason as the second seed. They would go on to beat the Mavs, the Lakers, and the Spurs, before getting defeated by the Heat in the Finals.
The following year, Oklahoma City also made it to the finals, this time as the first seed, which they got thanks to their 60 regular-season victories. By the time they were ready to play the Rockets at the first round, Russell Westbrook got injured and put all the pressure on Durant alone. Although the team was able to advance to the second round, they got defeated by the Grizzlies in five matches.
2013-14 Season = MVP Season
This season was phenomenal for Durant, as he scored a career-high 54 points during a single match. He also managed to score 25 or more points for 41 regular-season games, surpassing the record imposed by Michael Jordan.
OKC finished this season with an impressive 59 wins, and Durant ended up getting the NBA Most Valuable Player honors for the first time in his career.
Durant lost a little bit of credibility during the first few games of the first round of the playoffs versus the Grizzlies as he was underperforming.
His level was back to normal for game 6 where he scored 36 points. His team eventually eliminated Memphis and the Clippers before falling to the Spurs during the Conference Finals in six matches.
2014-16 = Last Two Seasons with The Thunder
Durant was ruled out of the first 17 matches of the 2014-15 season after suffering a Jones fracture in his right foot.
After playing a few games on his return to action, he got injured once again, being ruled out until December 31st, when he returned with an impressive performance against the Suns, scoring 44 points.
Injuries continued to plague Durant after this, and on March 27th, he was ruled out for good for the rest of the season.
Durant was back in shape for the 2015-16 season, and along with teammate Russell Westbrook were able to reach different historical milestones including being the first duo to score 40 or more points during a single match, a first since 1996.
He was able to set a new NBA record as he scored 20 or more points consecutively for 64 matches. This year, his team finished with 55 victories and sealed the third seed in the West.
The Thunder was able to defeat the Mavs in the first round. Then took down the Spurs in six matches in the second round but fell to the Warriors in seven games at the Conference Finals.
Golden State Warriors = 2016-2019
With his goal of becoming an NBA champion in mind, Durant made it out of the Thunder and found a new home in San Francisco, California, with the Warriors. The player signed a 2-year deal worth $54 million with the Golden State franchise.
Durant was looking for the ideal roster. He found it in this team with Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala, two elite defenders, and superstars Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, considered to be the greatest shooting backcourt in the history of the NBA.
2016-18 - Back-to-Back Titles
Durant began his run with the Warriors breaking records as he became the first player in the history of his new franchise to finish one game with 25 points, 5 assists, 5 blocks, and 10 rebounds.
His new team was also able to defeat the Thunder 3 times during the same season.
Injuries reappeared in the life of the small forward. He was left out for a total of 19 games, but returned in time for the playoffs, helping the Warriors to make it to the NBA Finals for a third straight season.
At this point, Golden State also became the first team in the history of the league to begin the postseason 12-0. The Warriors faced the Cavs at the Finals, with Durant turning into their top scorer for every single game. He was named NBA Finals MVP acquiring that year’s title after defeating Cleveland in five games.
Durant also started the 2017-18 season breaking more records!
This time he was able to become the youngest player in the history of the NBA to reach the 20,000-point milestone.
During the playoffs Durant and the Warriors managed to make it to the finals once again, where they were able to sweep the Cavs, getting a second straight title. Durant got his second Finals MVP Award.
2018-19 Injury = More Injuries
In the middle of 2018, Durant was stamping his firm on a new contract with the Warriors: this time he was getting an extra two years with Golden State worth $61 million. The team made it once again to the postseason, eliminating the Clippers in six games, the Rockets also in six, and the Trail Blazers in four.
Durant got injured during this period and wasn’t able to play the last game against Los Angeles, and missed the full series against Portland.
He was back for game five of the NBA Finals versus the Raptors but suffered a new injury during that very same match. This was the last time Durant wore the Warriors jersey, and his team ended up losing the Finals to Toronto in six games.
Brooklyn Nets - 2019 to Present
After a dispute with teammate Draymond Green about Durant’s commitment to the Warriors, Durant decided to call it quits in Golden State, signing a new contract with the Nets.
On July 30, 2019, Durant became officially a new player for Brooklyn in what was a sing-and-trade deal with the Warriors.
If you like the NBA, why not making your games even more exciting by adding some basketball gambling action! Register now to place your bets on the NBA and receive fantastic bonuses on top of your deposit.
Best of luck!