Kevin Durant getting choked up about the basketball changing his life is what sports are all about
These days most people probably only see Kevin Durant as a cranky curmudgeon who loves to fire back at trolls online.
That's not shade — it's true. Most of Durant's interactions online with fans are simply him telling people how silly they are to hold the beliefs that they do about the sport that they claim to love (but secretly seem to hate). To be fair to Durant, he's never usually wrong about the fans or their opinions.
We've always seen the edgy side of Durant. The side perpetually prepared to clap back at an online instigator at a moment's notice.
But there's also another side to Durant, too. A side that's a bit softer and more introspective. One that appreciates basketball and all that it's brought — not only in his life but to this world.
We caught a glimpse of that side of Durant in the Court of Gold Netflix documentary about the 2024 USA Basketball team.
Durant was visibly emotional while talking about playing on the Olympic stage in Paris over the summer. He opened up about what that all meant to him.
Kevin Durant tearing up about playing on the Olympic stage is a moment to witness.Court of Gold premieres in 12 hours. pic.twitter.com/jWSAC9pA5a
— Netflix (@netflix) February 17, 2025
"I come from a neighborhood where people don't even talk to each other," Durant explained. "So much hate in the world, too. When people get to start laughing and joking for a game of ball, it's cool to me. So, like, it gets me emotional, dog. It's crazy to see people travel so long to come see their favorite player play in the Olympics. They spend their money. They bring their whole family. It's just dope to me."
Durant got to the crux of why this moment made him so emotional. This is the line that got to me:
"The game has saved my life, so," he said. "It brought me and my family out of a lot of bull[expletive] so I'm just grateful for it. For real."
The man in that clip is someone who has seen a lot where he's come from. He's lived through a lot. He's survived a lot.
He's acutely aware of his journey and knows exactly when and where things could've gone wrong. Yet, he's where he is. This game that has brought so many people joy and changed so many lives is what delivered him there.
At a time when there's so much dark in this world, Durant found a little light in the thing that changed his life. That appreciation is beautiful. It's inspiring.
Basketball won't make all of us millionaires in the same way it did with Durant, obviously. We'll never be that good. Very few ever will.
But maybe — even as simple fans of the game — it can bring us that same joy and gratitude he's feeling here.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Kevin Durant getting choked up about the basketball changing his life is what sports are all about
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