“If I wasn’t a basketball player, what kind of man would they look at me as?” Kevin Durant was left wondering during an interview in 2017 as he talked about his experiences as a Black athlete. Obviously, everyone knows him as the most accomplished Team USA hooper, especially after he recently won his fourth Olympic gold in Paris. And he is a proud American through and through. However, his ethnic background opens him up to a whole different world.

Yes, born to parents Wanda Durant and Wayne Pratt, KD is of African-American descent. And he realized at a very early age that this comes with a lot of struggles, “Just kind of seeing how rough it is for an average black man, you know what I’m saying? And on top of that, a black man makes one mistake… I see how far we get pushed down.”

Kevin Durant’s parents and their impact on his life

When Kevin was young, his father stranded his family and later divorced his mother. And born and raised in Washington DC amid a lot of hardships, The Slim Reaper could have easily gone on the wrong path and ruined his life. Fortunately, his passion for basketball kept him inside the gym and out of trouble. “Nobody really tried to get me to be in the street life because I was either always walking to the gym or I was always in the gym.” He remarked. And KD rose above it all and became one of the greatest hoopers in the world.

However, not all the people he knew were this lucky, “I had friends that got into bad s—, as far as drugs, as far as hanging around the wrong crowds, as far as just trying to make money some way, because we’re stuck.” Durant claimed that more than a lifestyle choice, it’s the lack of resources and opportunity that leads people on this path. “My mom grew up on that, my brother grew up on that.” He added.

As KD stepped into his teenage years, his dad surprisingly re-entered his life and made an effort to connect with him. Despite separating from his mother, Wayne traveled with Kevin to his basketball tournaments and became an active part of his hoop journey. But it was his mother who was there every step of the way, doing her best to make Kevin and his siblings’ dreams come true. And he is eternally grateful for it and even addressed it during his MVP acceptance speech, “We wasn’t supposed to be here. 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.” And with her support, KD has achieved legendary status in American sports history.

Kevin Durant’s nationality and religious beliefs

Well, KD is an American national and has spent his entire life here. He is very religious as he grew up in a Christian household with his mother and grandmother, even going to church every weekend. Sure enough, he talks about his faith with immense pride, “I read my Bible now all the time.” Although he claims that he is not perfect and has a long way to go in his spiritual journey, he is determined to stay on that path, “I just want to grow spiritually with the Lord and get to know Him as well as I can.”

Moreover, he believes that his faith in God helps him get through all hardships in life, “I believe God’s love for me, the sacrificial death of Jesus for my sins, and His grace, not my good works, are what saves me. That humbles me and makes me worship Him.” And Durantula also has several tattoos representing his religious beliefs including a Cross on his ribs and a Jesus portrait on his back along with multiple Bible scriptures.

Maybe, it’s his faith combined with his talent and family’s support that has helped him become the most accomplished hooper to ever wear a Team USA uniform. Yes, he headed to Paris with three gold medals, tied only with Carmelo Anthony. However, he raised the bar in this year’s tournament by becoming the only NBA player with four gold medals. Adding to the accolades, he also broke Lisa Leslie’s scoring record, accumulating 518 points in four Olympic appearances. And he did not even make a big fuss about it, “Records are meant to be broken. Somebody will come along to do the same.”

Sure enough, he earned the respect of his teammates as LeBron James said, “KD is one of the all-time greats.” Meanwhile, Bam Adebayo deemed him the “Greatest Olympian.” Obviously, it has been an incredible journey from a young African-American kid in DC to one of the most popular athletes. And the surprising thing is, Kevin Durant continues to add to his legacy even at age 36. More power to him.