KD: Kevin Durant's Relentless Pursuit to Be the Greatest

by Marcus Thompson

Overview

Golden State Warriors insider and bestselling author Marcus Thompson “paints a complex portrait and captures all the multitudes of a dynamic athlete trying to carve his legacy” (Jonathan Abrams, New York Times bestselling author) with this definitive biography of one of the most extraordinary basketball players in NBA history—Kevin Durant.

The NBA has never seen a player quite like Kevin Durant. Larry Bird wasn’t as quick, Magic Johnson didn’t have such a range, and Michael Jordan wasn’t seven feet tall. Durant handles the ball like Allen Iverson, shoots like Dirk Nowitzki, and has the scoring instincts of Kobe Bryant. He does it in a body that’s about as big as Hakeem Olajuwon. But ultimately, Kevin Durant is like no one but himself.

After an incredible first season with Golden State, Kevin Durant earned the coveted NBA Finals MVP award: he was the Warriors’ top scorer in every game of the 2017 Finals, helping the team snatch the title from LeBron James and the defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers.

As a sports columnist for The Athletic Bay Area, and longtime beat reporter covering the Golden State Warriors, Marcus Thompson is perfectly positioned to trace Durant’s inspirational journey. KD follows Durant’s underdog story from his childhood spent in poverty outside DC; to his rise playing on AAU teams with future NBA players; to becoming a star and hometown hero for the Oklahoma Thunder; to his controversial decision to play for the NBA rival Golden State Warriors; to his growth from prodigy into a man, in the first true inside account of this superstar player.

With his “gift for insight into people, in a way that might be sui generis among writers” (Ethan Strauss, The Athletic), Thompson has written a powerful, moving biography of a modern-day legend that is also an essential read for all sports fans—or anyone who wants to know: what’s it like to shoot for greatness?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781501197826
Publisher:	Atria Books
Publication date:	11/12/2019
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	288
Sales rank:	326,387
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.30(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Marcus Thompson II is a lead columnist at The Athletic, covering the Golden State Warriors, San Francisco 49ers and Giants, and the Oakland Raiders and A’s. He was previously a sportswriter at the San Jose Mercury News and covered the Warriors exclusively as a beat writer for ten seasons. He lives with his wife, Dawn, and daughter, Sharon, in Oakland, California. He is the author of the national bestseller Golden: The Miraculous Rise of Steph Curry and KD: Kevin Durant’s Relentless Pursuit to Be the Greatest.

Table of Contents

Introduction xi

1 The Early Years 1

2 DMV Hoop 17

3 Becoming a Phenom 39

4 Hook'em Horns 59

5 Thunder Up 75

6 Ok-See Ya 125

7 The Hamptons 141

8 Kevin Wayne 155

9 The Villain 179

10 The Next Chapter 209

Acknowledgments 229

Index 233

Editorial Reviews

"Kevin Durant is one of sports’ most complicated superstars, and Marcus Thompson chronicles his life expertly. Marcus has a gift for insight into people, in a way that might be sui generis among writers. If you want to read about how NBA players tick, you read his work."
—Ethan Strauss, The Athletic

"Marcus Thompson connects from deep with this intimate dive into the life and career of Kevin Durant in delivering an insider’s perspective, provoking analysis, and an expert’s balance. Thompson doesn’t take a snapshot. He paints a complex portrait and captures all the multitudes of a dynamic athlete trying to carve his legacy. The dean of all things Warriors delivers yet again."
—Jonathan Abrams, New York Times bestselling author of All the Pieces Matter and Boys Among Men

Praise for Golden:

"A revolutionary player like Curry—whose three-point shooting altered basketball in a way similar to Babe Ruth changing baseball with the home run—deserves an in-the-moment book. And in the same way so many of Curry’s outlandish shots nestle softly into the net, so Thompson’s engaging and knowing biography successfully finds the mark."
—The Washington Post

"If you are going to listen to what any media person has to say about the Warriors, especially regarding the rise of Steph Curry to superstar status, start with Marcus Thompson. Since I was drafted by the Warriors, no writer has been more plugged in."
—Draymond Green

From the Publisher

05/01/2019

NBA star Kevin Durant has won two NBA Championships, two Finals MVPS, and made ten All Star appearances. Once regarded as a humble star on the Oklahoma City Thunder, he has been cast in a negative light since joining the Golden State Warriors. Thompson (Golden: The Miraculous Rise of Steph Curry) seeks to understand Durant's complexities, beginning with his childhood being raised by his mother and grandmother on the outskirts of Washington, DC. Despite his thin physical stature, Durant's mental toughness and work ethic propelled him to become a star player at the University of Texas at Austin. In the NBA, the Thunder became a powerhouse with the superstar duo of Durant and Russell Westbrook. Despite the accolades, Durant grew frustrated with their inability to win a championship. Thompson describes Durant's pivotal decision to join the Warriors and the criticism that resulted, as well as the intricate relationships with teammates such as Westbrook, Steph Curry, and Draymond Green. Beyond basketball, Thompson covers the importance of religion in Durant's life as well as his frustration with the media. VERDICT Recommended because of Durant's ongoing popularity; the player's childhood and teenage years are the highlights of this balanced biography.—Chris Wilkes, Tazewell Cty. P.L., VA

Library Journal