Teenage Kevin Durant Had Petty Way to Make His Dad Pay for Beating Him in 1-on-1

Kevin Durant couldn’t help but smile at the memory.

Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant reacts against the Sacramento Kings at Footprint Center. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Not many people can say they’ve beaten Kevin Durant one-on-one.

The future Hall of Famer likely has an extremely short list of opponents who have bested him, and one could assume he certainly hasn’t been taken down by a non-NBA player in literal decades.

But one man likely holds many more one-on-one wins over Durant than any other—his father.

After the Phoenix Suns’ 123–112 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night, a reporter asked Durant to tell the story of the last time he was beaten by his father—a question that had been suggested by the elder Durant himself.

“I was seventh grade,” Durant said, immediately smiling. “I was 11 years old, in the driveway. He won. After he scored the final point, I locked him out of the house. That was the last time. 20-something years ago.”

"I was in 7th grade... after he scored the final point, I locked him out of the house."

KD vividly remembers the last time his dad won 1-on-1 against him 😂😂 pic.twitter.com/hwcJaysoAN

— NBA (@NBA) March 22, 2025

All of us have felt the urge to take our ball and go home after a tough loss in our youth, but that plan of action becomes difficult when that home is also home to the guy who beat you. Locking the doors is a simple, yet effective, solution.

Durant’s dad may not have another victory against his son in him, but the two will share the memory of that last win for a lifetime.

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