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.
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