Stepping into his 17th season, Kevin Durant has a wholesome homecoming situation waiting for him in February 2025. Before entering the professional spectrum in 2007, KD had a decorated collegiate career in Texas. Even though the superstar played a lone season for the Texas Longhorns, he made it count with a historical run. 16 years after the awe-inspiring stint, the Slim Reaper has a perfect opportunity to return. However, his partner Devin Booker may not have a nourishing experience out there. Let’s find out why.

With only less than two months left for the 2024-25 NBA season, the league dropped the much-anticipated schedule. And, it revealed a clash between the San Antonio Spurs and Phoenix Suns at the Moody Center on February 20th as a “special on-campus NBA Game”. Notably, it’s going to be held in the Longhorns’ newest arena which was opened in 2022. KD played his 2006-07 season, during which he averaged over 25 points and 11 rebounds, at the historic Frank Erwin Center, which was demolished in May 2024.

Even though Kevin Durant hasn’t played in the new arena, he has a lot of significance to the University. The Longhorn’s men’s basketball facility and the entrance of Denton A. Cooley Pavilion are named after him in respect to his $3 million contribution to its construction. The college team has also retired the Slim Reaper’s jersey No. 35.

“Now, when people think of Texas basketball, they think of T.J. Ford and Kevin Durant,” UT senior A.J. Abrams said in 2009 during a ceremony of honor for KD. The line above says it all about how much he means to the Texas side.

On the other hand, the visit to the University of Texas’ home arena may not be a joyful experience for his teammate, Devin Booker. And there is a strong reason behind it. Ever since the launch of the star guard’s signature shoe line, Nike Book 1, it has become a sought-after sneaker. However, there is one version of it that D-Book doesn’t really like.

It’s LA Clippers player, PJ Tucker’s exclusive colorway. In the words of Tucker, he called the sneaker ‘Texas vs. Kentucky’ on his IG, representing the Longhorns and Kentucky Wildcats. And the former Wildcats’ guard publicly disliked it.

Why did Devin Booker dislike PJ Tucker’s colorway?

Tucker’s version of Book 1 has two dominant colors. The orange/tangerine represents the Longhorns, and the blue represents the Wildcats. After Tucker shared his version on his social media, Booker reshared it on his Instagram stories. While it may sound like Booker had welcomed the colorway, this isn’t the end of it. The story also carried a caption in which the Suns guard tagged Tucker and added a holding-the-head emoji. That emoji often represents disappointment or frustration.

Notably, these kicks are not available for the public since it’s a PE (Player’s Exclusives). While there isn’t any clarity on why Booker disliked the colorway, there’s a strong reason that could have led the way. Before his NBA debut in 2015, D-Book also played a single collegiate season for the Kentucky Wildcats in 2014-15. The then-rising star had a decent stint, averaging 10 points per game. However, he particularly didn’t have a great experience against the Texan side.

Facing the Longhorns in December 2014, the star had a night to forget. After playing 22 minutes on a winning cause, Booker went 0-5 from the field and ended the game with zero points. Nevertheless, 11 years after the disappointing outing, Devin Booker has a chance to redeem himself. Will the Suns come out on top against the Spurs? Let us know in the comments.

Before leaving, do watch the Dual Threat Show hosted by BG12 where Bulldogs’ Asia Avinger details her experience with Kobe Bryant, her WNBA ROTY picks, and more in the video below.