Greatest Longhorns of All Time in the NBA No. 1 - Kevin Durant

Durant has become one of the most recognized athletes in the world

What if I told you that Texas was never Kevin Durant's preferred college choice?

The 6’9 sniper was rated as the No. 2 overall recruit in the 2006 recruiting class. Earlier last year, Durant told The Players Tribune that UNC was one of his favorite schools throughout the recruiting process. “I wanted to go to Carolina,” Durant said. “All of my friends were getting recruited there.” Durant continued, “They were stacked though, they had a nice senior class. They went to the Elite Eight that year.” With all of this talent down in Chapel Hill, Durant thought he would get lost in the shuffle and took his talents to Texas.

In his lone season with the Horns, Durant received unanimous recognition as the National College Player of the Year award. Averaging 25.8 points and 11.1 rebounds, the Washington native was able to lead Texas to a 25–10 record, finishing third place in the Big 12, and reaching the second round of the 2007 NCAA Tournament.

Portland will forever regret taking Greg Oden with the first pick of the 2007 NBA Draft, allowing the Seattle Supersonics (current day Oklahoma City Thunder) to snatch up one the greatest scorers of All-Time with the second pick. After one season spent in Seattle, the franchise moved to Oklahoma City, making Kevin Durant and rookie Russel Westbrook instant household names in the Oklahoma area.

KD spent seven magnificent seasons, chasing a title alongside Westbrook and even James Harden at one point. After blowing a 3-1 to the Golden State Warriors in the 2016 WCF, Durant made one of the more controversial decisions in NBA history and joined up with the historic 73 win Warrior team led by 2-Time MVP Stephen Curry.

The rest was history, as the future NBA Hall of Famer has been a 10-time NBA All-Star, two-time NBA Finals MVP and league MVP in 2014. The former Longhorn star was out for the season after suffering a devastating Achilles tendon injury in Game 5 of the 2019 NBA Finals with the Golden State Warriors. This past offseason, the MVP decided to take his talents to Brooklyn, teaming up with All-Star guard Kyrie Irving.

Durant’s uphill battle continues with the latest news that he has tested positive for the novel coronavirus. As we pray for Durant and all those affected, let's remember to do our part by practicing social distance, washing hands, and avoiding large gatherings.

Kevin Durant will go off as one of the best players of All-Time and surely the best Longhorn to ever play in the NBA.