Back in July 2010, in an interview with ESPN‘s video game journalist Jon Robinson, Kevin Durant opened up about his gaming addiction. This interview occurred in the wake of EA selecting Durant as the cover for their iOS game NBA Elite. KD had just finished his third season in the league, even securing the scoring title during the 2009-2010 season.
During the interview, the then-reigning scoring champion revealed how his mother often nudged him about his boundless gaming habits. The young forward recalled, “All I do is play video games. I play all the time. My mom used to tell me I play a little too much.” But as her son became one of the faces of the NBA, her perspective shifted dramatically.
Instead of reminding him about his addiction, she started to cherish her son’s newfound fame. “But now that I’m on the cover, she’s out there buying my games,” added Durant.
KD grew up loving video games but his tough practice regimen didn’t allow him to engage in this leisure. However, he still kept his passion for gaming going. He enjoyed it so much that he had both the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 console. However, in terms of his preference, PS3 wasn’t his first choice.
He told Robinson, “I have a 360 and a PS3, but I really play my 360 more than anything. I got my red controller and my black controller, and I’m always on the red.” Even though he was a superstar in the NBA, the NBA 2k or NBA Live versions weren’t his go-to choices. “I go online all the time. I’m big into ‘Madden.’ Last year, I used to just pick random teams, but this year it’s all about the Washington Redskins in the game,” the 2008 Rookie of the Year had added.
Durant has always embraced the online culture and the Internet community. Even today, he often indulges in debates with fans on the Internet on X. KD also likes his gaming. He has seen the evolution of gaming through three decades now.
Kevin Durant has a history with NBA 2k
With the next generation of consoles arriving on the scene, the scope for gaming has expanded. Durant has seen the evolution of NBA 2k as it has adapted to the modern NBA fanbase and its needs.
The 2014 MVP was the cover athlete for NBA 2k15 as he continued his ascension in the league. However, surprisingly, he didn’t use himself as the go-to hooper while playing the game. During an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon in 2014, Fallon asked him if he plays as himself in the game.
A nonchalant Durant replied, “No, that’s kinda arrogant.” Then the host enquired, “Who do you play as?” To which KD replied, “Anybody.” When pressed further, KD finally admitted, “Alright, LeBron.”
However, that’s not the end of his 2k story. Last year, when 2k released his rating for 2k23, KD was displeased. The 35-year-old didn’t like that the game developers rated him only 96, and thought he deserved a 99. He reached out to the “face of NBA 2k”, Ronnie 2k, and asked for an explanation.
Apart from sports-based video games, the deep-range shooter also loves to test his aim in First Person Shooter games. The 2x NBA champion collaborated with Call of Duty devs earlier this year. As a part of the Modern Warfare II and Warzone bundle, the developers released a character based on KD. The character has a sniper rifle with an image of a basketball carved into it. In one of the segments of the trailer, he is shown throwing a grenade through the hoop.
From loving games to being the face of games not just limited to basketball, Durant is living the dream life of a gamer. As consoles expand their horizons, his reach will blossom too.
