Kevin Durant is an American professional basketball player whose combination of height, shooting touch and ball-handling has made him one of the defining scorers of his generation. His career includes an NBA Most Valuable Player award, two championships, two Finals MVP awards and four Olympic gold medals.
The achievements span several teams and different stages of the sport’s evolution. Durant entered the NBA with Seattle, became a superstar in Oklahoma City, won championships with Golden State and later played for Brooklyn, Phoenix and Houston. Behind that public record is a story rooted in the Washington, D.C., area, a single remarkable college season and a sustained commitment to developing his game.
Quick facts
| Full name | Kevin Wayne Durant |
| Born | 29 September 1988 |
| Age | 38 as of November 2026 |
| Birthplace | Washington, D.C., United States |
| Position | Forward |
| NBA-listed height | 6 feet 11 inches |
| College | University of Texas |
| Draft | Second overall, 2007, Seattle SuperSonics |
| NBA MVP | 2014 |
| NBA championships | 2017 and 2018 |
| Olympic gold medals | 2012, 2016, Tokyo 2020 and 2024 |
| Team at this update | Houston Rockets |
Early life and family
Durant was born on 29 September 1988 and grew up in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. His mother, Wanda, has been a prominent figure in his public account of the work and sacrifices behind his development.
The family became especially familiar to basketball audiences through his 2014 MVP acceptance speech. The occasion connected an individual sporting award with the people who supported him long before the professional recognition arrived.
Team USA’s biography describes that background alongside his basketball development. His brother Rayvonne is discussed separately in our Rayvonne Pratt profile, keeping the wider family story distinct from Durant’s playing record.
High school and the making of a prospect
Durant’s high-school career included National Christian Academy, Oak Hill Academy and Montrose Christian. By the time he reached college, he was already regarded as an exceptional prospect, with skills that did not fit neatly into the usual expectations for a player of his size.
The attraction was not height alone. Many tall players can finish close to the basket; Durant could also move and shoot in ways more commonly associated with smaller perimeter players. That combination expanded the kinds of offensive roles he could perform.
His Basketball-Reference profile records the schools and the subsequent professional timeline. The record provides a useful structure for a career whose reputation can otherwise be reduced to a collection of spectacular scoring nights.
One season at the University of Texas
Durant played at Texas during the 2006–07 season. He averaged 25.8 points and 11.1 rebounds, an extraordinary combination for a freshman, and quickly became one of the central figures in college basketball.
Texas’s contemporary season profile records the production and awards. He won the Naismith Trophy and Wooden Award among other national honours before declaring for the NBA Draft.
The college year was brief but substantial. It demonstrated that his scoring could translate against strong competition while also showing his value as a rebounder. Texas later retired his number, preserving the significance of a season that lasted only one academic year.
Seattle and the move to Oklahoma City
The Seattle SuperSonics selected Durant with the second pick in the 2007 NBA Draft. He won Rookie of the Year after his first season, establishing himself as a major part of the franchise’s future.
The team relocated to Oklahoma City in 2008 and became the Thunder. This explains why accounts of his early career mention two cities even though he remained with the same franchise through the move.
In Oklahoma City, Durant developed alongside a young core that included Russell Westbrook. The team’s progress made his individual scoring part of a larger competitive story, moving from promise to serious contention. The 2012 NBA Finals appearance marked an important stage in that rise.
The 2014 MVP season
Durant won the 2014 NBA Most Valuable Player award after a season that combined high scoring volume with strong efficiency. It was recognition of sustained performance across the regular season rather than a single playoff series.
The award also clarified his place among the league’s leading players. He was no longer discussed only as a gifted young scorer with future potential; he had produced a season judged the most valuable in the league.
His acceptance speech became an enduring part of the moment because it addressed teammates, coaches and family individually. The sporting achievement and the personal acknowledgement remain connected in how that stage of his career is remembered.
Golden State and two championships
Durant joined the Golden State Warriors in 2016, entering a team already built around Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. The move became one of the most debated decisions of the era because it joined an elite scorer with an established championship contender.
On the court, the partnership produced titles in 2017 and 2018, with Durant named Finals MVP both times. His shooting offered another answer when a possession became difficult and created additional problems for defences already occupied by the Warriors’ movement and spacing.
The results are part of the historical record, while assessments of the move’s competitive meaning remain matters of debate. A biography can explain both without presenting a fan argument as an objective measure of his ability.
Injury, Brooklyn and Phoenix
Durant suffered an Achilles injury during the 2019 Finals and missed the following season. His later return with the Brooklyn Nets became an important test of how much of his game could be sustained after a major interruption.
He subsequently moved to the Phoenix Suns. These chapters placed him alongside different teammates and inside different expectations, while his shooting remained the consistent element that made him valuable.
A long career is rarely a smooth sequence of improvements. Injuries, availability and team construction affect what an individual player can achieve in a given year. Durant’s later seasons are best assessed with those circumstances in view rather than by treating every team result as a direct verdict on one player.
Houston and the later-career chapter
Durant joined Houston in July 2025 through a seven-team transaction. The NBA’s announcement confirmed the move.
Houston represents a return to Texas, although the professional setting is very different from his college year in Austin. It also adds another stage to a career in which his scoring skills have been asked to fit several distinct team structures.
For a veteran, the question becomes how an established strength can complement the players around him. Durant’s ability to shoot over defenders and work without controlling every possession makes that discussion more complex than simply counting how many shots he takes.
Why his scoring is difficult to defend
Durant’s game combines a high release point with the ability to create space before the shot. A defender who gives him room risks conceding a clean jumper; a defender who presses too closely can be beaten off the dribble.
He can also contribute without starting every possession with the ball. Catching in a useful position, attacking a recovering defender or moving into a shooting window can be as important as an extended isolation.
These are observations about the mechanics of his game rather than a claim that he is impossible to stop. Team defence, physical pressure and decision-making still matter. His distinction is the unusually wide range of situations in which he can produce a credible scoring option.
Four Olympic gold medals
Durant won Olympic gold with the United States in 2012, 2016, Tokyo 2020 and 2024. The Tokyo tournament was held in 2021, which explains why accounts sometimes use different calendar references for that medal.
USA Basketball’s player record lists the international achievements. In Paris, he became the first male basketball player to win four Olympic gold medals.
International basketball places elite NBA players in a different setting, with shorter preparation periods and different team roles. Durant’s success across four tournaments demonstrates the usefulness of his shooting and scoring beyond any one NBA system. It is a distinct part of his legacy, not merely an extension of his club championships.
Business, media and community work
Durant’s work beyond basketball includes his business partnership with Rich Kleiman and the media platform Boardroom. Boardroom’s account of Kleiman’s role identifies their shared involvement in the sports and entertainment business.
This activity reflects a wider change in the public role of major athletes. Players can participate in media and investment decisions while still competing, rather than waiting until retirement to develop a separate professional identity.
Durant has also been associated with community and education initiatives through his foundation. Those activities should be evaluated through the organisations’ documented programmes rather than assumed to be identical to his commercial partnerships.
Net worth and career perspective
Durant’s NBA compensation and endorsement activity are widely discussed, but a precise personal net worth is a separate calculation. It would require a complete view of assets, investments, liabilities and other obligations that public career summaries do not provide.
The reliable achievements are already substantial: a college player-of-the-year season, NBA MVP recognition, championship performances and repeated Olympic success. Each describes a different setting in which he has demonstrated value.
His broader influence lies in the expectations attached to size and skill. Durant helped make it easier to imagine a very tall player operating as a perimeter creator and elite shooter. The point is not that every player can copy him, but that his career expanded the range of what teams look for and develop.
Frequently asked questions
How old is Kevin Durant?
Kevin Durant was born on 29 September 1988 and is 38 as of November 2026.
How tall is Kevin Durant?
His NBA profile lists him at 6 feet 11 inches. Older biographies sometimes use a different listed measurement.
How many NBA championships has he won?
He won two championships with Golden State, in 2017 and 2018, and was Finals MVP in both years.
How many Olympic gold medals does Kevin Durant have?
He has four, from London 2012, Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024. The Tokyo Games were held in 2021.
Which college did Kevin Durant attend?
He played one season at the University of Texas, in 2006–07, before entering the 2007 NBA Draft.
