Shaina Indovino - Kevin Durant

Kevin Durant

SUPERSTARS IN THE
WORLD OF BASKETBALL

LeBron James

Dwyane Wade

Kobe Bryant

Carmelo Anthony

Kevin Durant

Chris Paul

Dwight Howard

Rajon Rondo

Blake Griffin

Players & the Game Around the World

SUPERSTARS IN THE
WORLD OF BASKETBALL

Kevin Durant

Shaina Indovino

Mason Crest

Mason Crest 450 Parkway Drive, Suite D Broomall, PA 19008 www.masoncrest.com

Copyright 2015 by Mason Crest, an imprint of National Highlights, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the publisher.

Printed and bound in the United States of America.

First printing
9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Series ISBN: 978-1-4222-3101-2
ISBN: 978-1-4222-3107-4
ebook ISBN: 978-1-4222-8797-2

The Library of Congress has cataloged the
hardcopy format(s) as follows:

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Indovino, Shaina Carmel.

Kevin Durant / Shaina Indovino.

pages cm. (Superstars in the world of basketball)

ISBN 978-1-4222-3107-4 (hardback) ISBN 978-1-4222-3101-2 (series) ISBN 9781-4222-8797-2 (ebook) 1. Durant, Kevin, 1988Juvenile literature. 2. Basketball playersUnited StatesBiographyJuvenile literature. I. Title.

GV884.D868I54 2015

796.323092dc23

[B]

2014007849

Contents

Words to Understand

amateur: Playing a sport without getting paid.

passive: Accepting whatever happens without taking action.

aggressive: Ready to fight to succeed.

varsity: A sports team playing for a high school or college.

Tensions are high as the most talented players in the NBA run across the court. One of Kevins teammates passes him the ball. He takes a deep breath before making a mad dash for the basket. He slides past his opponents and jumps up to score a slam dunk. The ball easily drops through the basket. It all happens so fast that his opponents arent even sure what hit them. The fans clap and cheer, but not for long. The game is still under way.

Kevin Durant is playing in the 2012 All-Star Game, being held in Orlando, Florida. The games players are chosen in a vote by their fans. The teams are divided into Eastern players and Western players. Kevin is on the West team, because he plays for the Oklahoma City Thunder, which is in the western division. His all-star teammates include Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant, Blake Griffin, and Andrew Bynum.

Kevin was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the All-Star Game. It was easy to see why. He scored 36 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists in the game. Kevin was given a large glass trophy and asked how it felt to become an MVP at such a young age. He said, Its a dream come true. Im just blessed to be here.

Kevin has done amazing things in his time in the NBA. But he had to work hard to become the superstar athlete that fans know today.

Make Connections

Running helped Kevin develop his leg muscles. It also strengthened his lungs and heart. A sport like basketball requires a lot of stamina. Stamina helps an athlete run around without stopping for a long time. Basketball games can last for hours. The longer a player can play without getting tired, the better that player will perform on the court.

Everything Kevin said was true. He dreamed of joining the NBA since he was a little boy. In his first year as an NBA athlete, he was named Rookie of the Year. He later became the NBA scoring champion three years in a row and even earned an Olympic gold medal. At the age of twenty-three, he wasnt ready to slow down. Im glad Im taking this back to Oklahoma City, he added. Kevin has been a loyal member of the Oklahoma City Thunder since it was brought to the city in 2008.

CHILDHOOD

Kevin Wayne Durant was born on September 29, 1988, in Washington, D.C. He grew up in the nearby town of Seat Pleasant, Maryland. Kevin has two brothers, Tony and Rayvonne, and one sister, Brianna. When Kevin was still a baby, his father left the family and did not come back for over ten years. By then, Kevin was already a rising star in the sport of basketball.

Kevins mother, Wanda, raised her children alone. Luckily, Wandas mother, Barbara, was around to help. Wandas children saw their grandmother a lot while they were growing up. Wanda needed to work overnight shifts at the post office to support her family. Someone needed to watch Kevin while she was gone. His grandmother offered to do it. When she wasnt around, Kevins aunt Pearl took care of him and his brothers and sister. Sadly, Aunt Pearl died of breast cancer when Kevin was eleven years old.

Long before Kevin became the basketball superstar we know him as today, he stood out to his classmates for another reason. He was very tall, even as a kid. In fact, Kevin was always one of the tallest kids in his class. Wanda worried that her son would be treated differently because of his height. She was right. Kevins classmates teased him for being so tall. Wanda tried to fix this problem by asking Kevins teachers to place him at the end of school lines. She hoped fewer people would notice how tall he was. Wanda was always looking out for Kevin.

Kevin didnt like the attention he got for being tall and dreaded going to school. He thought his life would be a lot easier if he were the same height as everybody else. His grandmother believed something different. She told Kevin, Someday, youll like being tall. Kevin knew his grandmother was right when he started playing basketball. Most basketball players are very tall. The extra height makes it easier to shoot a basket or block an opponent from shooting. By the time Kevin reached his full height of 69, he saw his height as a blessing and not a curse.

As a kid, Kevin played sports as much as he could with his brother Tony, dreaming of playing basketball in the NBA one day.

Make Connections

Charles Chucky Craig was easily one of the most important influences in Kevins life. He was one of Kevins first coaches. Chucky was killed when he was only thirty-five years old. Everyone who trained under Chucky was heartbroken when he died. Kevin always looked up to Chucky and wanted to honor him in some way. That is why he decided use the number 35Chuckys age when he diedon his jersey. He used this number in the AAU, high school, college, and finally in the NBA. Kevin still uses the number 35 as a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Wanda did her best to keep her children active. When Kevin was eight years old, his mother walked into the Seat Pleasant Recreational Center and signed Kevin and Tony up for weekend activities. Kevin and his brother played sports there on weekends. This is where Kevin met Charles Chucky Craig, his future coach. Chucky saw Kevin shooting hoops and knew that with a little training, Kevin could become a great basketball player. He invited Kevin to try out for the nine-and-under team he coached. Kevin scored 25 points in one of the first games he played.