Rockets' Kevin Durant Signs Texas' Madison Booker to KD Line

Houston Rockets superstar forward Kevin Durant has publicly expressed his desire to partner with the University of Texas to gift the school exclusive colorways of his sneakers, both past and present. He's also expressed a desire to sign athletes to his 'KD' line with Nike.

Last week, Durant accomplished both feats. The Rockets All-Star and Nike struck an NIL deal with the school, making Lady Longhorns superstar Madison Booker the first athlete to sign to Durant's line.

Booker becomes the first athlete to have exclusive access to KD apparel, merchandise and player exclusive drops. Booker and the Lady Longhorns went to see Durant and the Rockets square off against the Los Angeles Lakers at the Toyota Center and saw Durant debut the University Red colorway of the yet to be released 'KD 19' shoe.

Durant Lands Texas Superstar Madison Booker under Brand with Nike

Days later, Booker donned the Orange Crush colorway of the same shoe, during the Longhorns' 87-45 victory over Missouri State. Durant wore the same colorway of the shoe during the Rockets' victory over the Miami Heat on Saturday, which was a tightly contested match that came down to a last second tip-in by Amen Thompson for the win.

Booker had been wearing the 'KD 18' shoe all throughout the season, much like Durant himself. However, Durant's 19th shoe instantly became her favorite, surpassing the KD 6 and KD 7, which previously held the title.

Her first experience owning Durant's shoes came in elementary school, in which she donned a pair of all-blue KD 8s. As for the business partnership, Booker is still in disbelief, calling it a surreal moment.

"I really can't put it into words but it still feels surreal to wear my favorite player's shoes. Honestly, it's still surreal. I can't believe that happened. I'm just happy to represent the brand now."

As for the orange colorway of the shoe, it will forever hold historical meaning and significance, as Durant became the league's fifth all-time leading scorer while donning the sneakers, as he passed NBA legend Michael Jordan late in the contest.

It's safe to say that Durant will be wearing the KD 19 sneakers throughout the 2026 NBA playoffs, which are set to kick off about a month from the writing of this article. In similar fashion, it's safe to say that Booker will be wearing the orange KD 19 sneaker throughout the entirety of the NCA tournament.