Throughout NBA history, many legends credit their success to their upbringing. Like Stephen Curry who followed in his father’s footsteps, for Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant, his mother’s methods brought him to the brink of resentment but ultimately led to his success. Durant and his 56-year-old mother, Wanda, recently appeared on the “Raising Fame” podcast, hosted by Sonya Curry and Lucille O’Neal.

KD straightaway ticked off things by highlighting his “envious” feelings of his brother Tony because of their mother’s trust in him. Wanda instilled core values like hard work and discipline in Durant, sometimes pushing him to the limit. As a result, he attempted to develop similar basketball skills as his sibling, but not without feeling overwhelmed.

“It used to be annoying too, ’cause I would be done (with) all my work, and I would call her to pick me up, and then just like “’All right, you’ve got 25 more of whatever I was doing. Maybe laps, or running up the hill, or shots’” Durant recalled.

He followed, “And it was just like…. it was constant. And it was to the point where I was just starting to resent her, but the extra work paid off after overtime. When I tend to reflect back, damn, that was…. I needed that so much.”

Durant’s remarks came right after his mother discussed the challenges with her husband, Wayne Pratt, that came with raising her sons. Despite all this, Wanda simply focused on raising her sons to be successful men. “I wanted to be more than just sacrifice. I wanted to plan because I knew the type of men that I wanted my sons to be” said Durant’s mother.

“I used sports to help me raise them and instill values in them, and I used sports as a way for me to celebrate them outside the home because, as you know, when you have more than one child, everybody is pining for your attention at the house.”

While his brother never made it to the big leagues, Kevin Durant received a lifeline through the NBA, which allowed him to carve out a 17-year ongoing career filled with major milestones. Along with possessing two championship rings and four Olympic gold medals, the 35-year-old now boasts a net worth of $300 million. While Wanda would have never intended to create a scenario where Durant used ‘jealousy’ as motivation, no one from the family would be complaining about it now. Neither does Kevin Durant himself, who cannot appreciate enough the sacrifices his mother made.

Kevin Durant credited his mother for saving his life during his 2014 MVP speech “You kept us off the street”

Kevin Durant has probably had more iconic moments in his basketball career than any other modern-day NBA star. He has had bad days as well, but the majority of his career has been nothing short of memorable. The most memorable was the speech that the player gave after winning his first and only MVP title back in 2014. Durant devoted a significant chunk of his time talking about his mother. As she watched on from afar, he described how she would wake him up in the middle of the night to practice by running up the hill and doing push-ups. All the while, she worked as a single parent to provide for the family.

Durant described that while the odds were stacked against them, his mother made it even. “We wasn’t supposed to be here,” said the NBA player in his speech. “You made us believe. You kept us off the street. You put clothes on our backs, food on the table. When you didn’t eat, you made sure we ate. You went to sleep hungry. You sacrificed for us. You the real MVP.”

Wanda sacrificed for her children, which allowed them to make a name for themselves. ‘Kevin Durant’ is now a household name, and the days of ‘resenting’ Wanda are very far behind him. What are your thoughts on Durant’s magnificent NBA career? Let us know in the comments below.

Before you go, remember to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Silas Demary Jr.