With the 2024 Paris Olympics concluded and a gold medal in the bag, it is safe to say Kevin Durant is the greatest player ever in a Team USA jersey. KD is the all-time leading scorer for USAB in the competition’s history and the only men’s player to win 4 gold medals, so there’s no one better on the Olympic stage. But KD couldn’t have done it without his MVP, Wanda Durant. The 2-time NBA Finals MVP’s mother has been a constant source of support and strength in his life and the fans got to know more about their loving dynamic through the latest episode of Raising Fame.

There was a surprising revelation from Wanda about KD that will have you rocked. Hosted by two famed NBA moms, Lucille O’Neal and Sonya Curry, the show gravitates around the lives of stars of today and their upbringing. Episode 6 of season 1 featured KD and her mom and Wanda’s journey with her two sons came to the fore. Talking about her mindset after KD’s birth, Wanda said, “To be quite honest, that was a scary day. I wasn’t expecting a little boy, because I wanted a girl because I already had a oldest son. But it was a scary day because I knew my job was hard because I had 2 young men, 2 babies that I had to raise to be young men.

“I was excited. I was scared. I didn’t know what our lives would be. Our marriage was a little rocky at the time, and we were young and trying to make it. And so I didn’t know, what to expect. I really didn’t know what motherhood was all about,” Wanda added.

Wanda pushed through her motherhood with conviction and responsibility for her two sons, Kevin and his older brother Tony. “I did not have a plan, I just knew that I had these 2 little people that I was responsible for. God, I don’t wanna cry. But to be quite honest with you, my sons were my saving grace. They saved my life,” said a visibly emotional Wanda. “I know that there are maybe mothers out there, thank you, who don’t know the direction of their lives, and they have the responsibility of children in their hands. Just don’t quit. Because I wanted to quit, but I knew that there would be no one on this earth that would take care of my sons the way that I did. And so people say, well, what did you sacrifice? And to be quite honest, I sacrificed my suicide,” KD’s mother continued. 

But it’s always easier said than done. Despite the daunting challenge ahead of her, Wanda walked through the storm and the rest is history.

Kevin Durant’s mother opens up about her rough start to motherhood

Wanda revealed her rocky relationship with Kevin’s father, Wayne Pratt. He left the family during Kevin’s infancy and Wanda took shelter with her mother. Looking back at the time, she revealed, “I think my dear sweet late mother, my mom, she was watching me just kinda flog through life with 2 children.” It wasn’t smooth sailing though, as Wanda was racing against time.

“She (Wanda’s mother) was like, you gotta go. And she gave me 6 months. She said in June 1st, you will have to leave. And she gave me a $1,000 dollar seed money, and back then, that was a lot of money. And I squandered it. I spent it, and she didn’t say a word for 6 months. The day before, if she gave me the move-out, she said, you know, you’re moving tomorrow,” Wanda detailed on her circumstances back then.

“And I had nothing, and I had nowhere to take my children. But I thank God for my, former in-laws. They took us in. And in 30 days, I had my first place, and that was the place where I took my children. It was empty,” Wanda said. “And I told them this was home. And at that moment, that’s when the plan started to come into place.”

Fast-forward to 2024, Kevin Durant has a multi-million dollar property in Arizona after having several other houses in high-profile neighborhoods. In the end, things turned out just fine for Wanda, as she saw her son rise to the pinnacle of basketball and live a good life. Well, it’s thoroughly deserved after all the hardships she endured.

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.