Kevin Durant was one of the most dominant college basketball players during the 2006-07 season. The Slim Reaper was unstoppable as a freshman representing the Texas Longhorns. While KD’s hype went all the way back to his high school days, his performance at the collegiate level was just the icing on top. As an 18-year-old, Durant was putting up 25.8 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 2 steals and blocks per game while shooting over 47% from the field. If that wasn’t enough for a freshman, Durant’s accolades include the Rupp Trophy, Naismith Award, and Wooden Award.

Nevertheless, the Longhorns fans will get lucky this coming February as the Spurs will host one of their games at the Moody Center. The Longhorns’ new arena just recently became their active home court. But what’s interesting is that the Spurs will be facing Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns. This will be a homecoming game for KD with the arena filled with Spurs and Longhorns fans. Amidst the announcement, a longtime WWE superstar gifted an attractive and unique belt to Durant.

The Slim Reaper recently attended the Fanatics Fest where he met the man himself, Triple H. Levesque presented KD with a Texas Longhorns belt in its signature colorway. The orange and white belt was a special gift to KD, but out of all the features, Durant admired the Bulls’ horns. It is only a matter of time before fans hopefully see Durant get into the pre-game warmups with the same belt. The Suns versus Spurs game is scheduled for February 20th, 2025.

On the other hand, the Spurs have played a few games in the past in Moody Center. This wouldn’t be their first time hosting a game outside of their primary arena, Frost Bank Center. But they can expect a sold-out arena for this particular matchup. Durant has given back to the Longhorns, as the Reaper’s $3 million contribution was deeply appreciated by the UT. The basketball facilities and the entrance to the Denton A. Cooley Pavilion are named after Kevin Durant.

As a Longhorn, KD made the case for one of the best college basketball freshmen in history.

Kevin Durant might just be the greatest college basketball freshman of all time

Durant’s numbers as a freshman were definitely not normal. It was not the first time that teams were looking at a tall forward shooting and handling the ball better than most guards. The only player to put up better numbers was Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf. As a freshman, Abdul-Rauf put up 30.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game. But then again, compared to KD averaging 25+ points, 10+ rebounds, and 2 steals a game in the modern era, Abdul-Rauf’s rookie year might just be second to KD’s.

On the other hand, players like Carmelo Anthony and Zion Williamson are also among the few players having such a stat line as a freshman. Melo represented the Syracuse Orange, as he put up 22.2 points,10 rebounds, and 2.2 assists while also winning the NCAA title. It was quite a dominant run from Melo, showcasing individual accolades along with the national title.

The next player making the list would be Zion Williamson. Now, Williamson had a lot of hype coming into the NBA. As a freshman, Williamson averaged 22.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.1 steals, and 1.8 blocks per game. The Duke Blue Devil had something special to showcase and did not fail to do so. However, KD’s freshman year still stands out. To put it into perspective, Dirk Nowitzki was the only player at the time who was an accurate comparison of KD.

There is no doubt that Durant was a special player in college. Not only that, but he even proved the same as he went on to spend years in the league. What are your thoughts on Kevin Durant’s college career? Do you think he had the best freshman year of all time? Let us know in the comments.

Feel that you can do with another update from the sport of basketball? Then do check out this recent interview with the up-and-coming Georgia Lady Bulldogs star Asia Avinger.