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Kevin Durant is easily one of the most influential basketball players in the world.
He may be on the receiving end of a ton of hate because he switched squads or created a fake twitter account to clap back at his haters, but his jersey always ranks amongst the best-selling in the league. He’s managed to silence some of those haters after winning his first NBA Championship and his off the court efforts should silence the rest.
To celebrate his 29th birthday, here are a few ways Kevin Durant is winning off the court.
Donating To The American Red Cross
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Back in 2013, Hurricane Moore hit Oklahoma City, and as the city’s premier basketball player he knew he had to step in and help so he donated $1 million to the American Red Cross. His goodwill even inspired the Thunder’s front office and Nike to match his donation to help the city recover from a natural disaster that caused around $2 billion in damage.
Efforts With P’Tones Records
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Durant’s philanthropic efforts don’t stop with aiding natural disaster recovery. He is also a spokesperson for P’Tones Records. As a Washington, D. C. kid, he joined his city’s chapter for the nationwide nonprofit that helps launch after school music programs and “open recording studios nationwide that teach urban high school youth how to become producers, engineers, artists and executives in the music industry.”
He Acts, Too
Better than Shaq in Kazaam? Not quite. But Durant’s gentle nature could make him an easy fitting cameo in any movie. He got his chance in front of the camera in the 2012 film Thunderstruck, where he plays himself and signs a basketball for a fan. A surge of energy flows through the ball and the fan, named Brian, can suddenly ball just as good as Durant— perimeter shot as all.
He’s In the Food Business
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Before he left to join the Warriors on the West Coast, Durant had a restaurant in OKC called KD’s Southern Cuisine. The spot closed 3 weeks after the MVP announced his departure, but it’s still a huge feat for him to have been able to open his own restaurant. The space was owned by Hal Smith restaurant group, which Durant is a 25% owner of.
