Phoenix Suns superstar Kevin Durant holds a special place in his heart for Texas.
For the first time since he left as a Longhorn eighteen years ago, Durant returned to his alma mater to play in a regular season game this past Thursday, with the Phoenix Suns taking on the San Antonio Spurs at the Moody Center.
“They’re gonna come show out for the Spurs and a former Longhorn in myself, but I think if it was any team coming here, they’d be excited for basketball,” Durant said on the Longhorn Network on Wednesday before the game. “This city is a basketball city, and (Moody Center) is fit for NBA basketball.”
Durant’s return brought an attendance mark of 16,246, an all-time Moody Center record. He went 9-13 and 3-6 from three for an efficient 22 points; however, the game didn’t go as he and the Suns had hoped, losing 120-109.
Drafted after his first year, Durant’s time at Texas may have been cut short, but his connection to the school remains strong, citing his former team’s camaraderie as a major reason why.
“I think we came in with seven or eight freshmen that year,” Durant said. “So we were a tight-knit group. We were experiencing things for the first time together.”
The bunch consisted of former NBA players D.J. Augustin and Damion James, fellow freshman Justin Mason and others, who had fun on and off the court. Although Durant was among the campus celebrities in his tenure, he still made sure to get the full Texas experience.
“We’d walk around on 6th Street on the weekends after our Saturday games,” Durant said. “Those were the most memorable times.”
When he took the court in the old Frank Erwin Center, Durant made his mark on the history books and cemented himself as a Longhorn basketball icon within one year of play. In the 2006-07 season, he averaged 25.8 points and 11.1 rebounds, en route to being recognized with the Wooden Award and Naismith College Player of the Year award, the first freshman to accomplish either.
“I felt like I was playing in an NBA arena,” Durant said. “So every night being able to see that energy for basketball when (Texas) is labeled a football school was pretty cool to see.”
Durant credited the fans’ energy and support during his Longhorn tenure, referencing their excitement even during the heyday of Texas football.
“(For) Texas Tech games, Texas A&M games (the fans) would start camping out, so when I started seeing that, that experience was cool,” he recalled. “The fans really rode around us as we got later into the season.”
Durant continues to maintain a vested interest in Austin and Texas sports, specifically women’s basketball. He frequently supports Longhorn women’s basketball and recently entered a bid to bring a WNBA team to Austin as the league tries to add a 16th franchise.
“We’ve always had major support here for women’s basketball,” he told KVUE. “We have one of the greatest coaches, some of the greatest players that come through here … a great talent in (Madison Booker). All down the line.”