Penguins Stars Join Kevin Durant at NBA Game

The Pittsburgh Penguins travelled to the Lone Star State to take on the Dallas Stars in a weekend matchup. The Penguins enter holding tightly onto one of the Wild Card spots in the Eastern Conference, while the Stars battle for the top spot in the Central Division and Western Conference.

The Penguins have also had a few nights off in between contests, which allowed a pair of their stars to meet up with one of the NBA's premier talents. With the Pens in town early for their matchup against the Stars, veteran leaders Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang attended a contest between the hometown Dallas Mavericks and the visiting Houston Rockets. Following the game, the Penguins legends snapped a photo with Rockets forward and multiple-time NBA champion, Kevin Durant.

The Penguins posted the photo of the future Hall of Famers via their X account.

Hey there, KD!

📸: @emalkin71geno pic.twitter.com/Ys9fuitSDM
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) December 7, 2025

The Generation of Greatness

Across multiple professional sports, a generation of greatness was ushered in during the early 2000s. This photo is a prime representation of that. Durant is now 37, but he first entered the NBA in 2007 after one season in the NCAA. That was right around the same time that Malkin and Letang were joining teammate Sidney Crosby and rising up the ranks of the NHL.

Both leagues were inundated with elite, young talent that led them into the new millennium. In the NBA, Durant and LeBron James and Steph Curry dominated the era and are still continuing to play at high levels. In the NHL, the Penguins were joined by the core of the Chicago Blackhawks, Los Angeles Kings and Washington Capitals to bring the league into a new place of relevance and popularity.

Fast forward to 2025, and all three have tasted individual and team success, and their leagues are better off for it.

Hockey player skates with the puc — Nov 21, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin (71) skates with the puck ahead of Minnesota Wild center Yakov Trenin (13) during the third period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Penguins Continue to Surprise

Durant and the Rockets are a contender in the NBA, but the Penguins weren't supposed to be a team in contention this year. Despite the low expectations, the Pens have impressed. The season is nearly a third completed, and they've earned a winning record, a positive goal differential and a playoff spot.

That's largely thanks to the Penguins' legendary players, like Malkin. The 39-year-old center has 29 points in 26 games, and his playmaking and vision are as impactful and dangerous as they were during his debut seasons. It has the Pens in the hunt, and it has their veteran core hopeful that they can make one final run together.

Make sure you bookmark Breakaway On SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage, and more!