{"id":37647,"date":"2009-07-20T17:03:06","date_gmt":"2009-07-20T22:03:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nicekicks.com\/?p=37647"},"modified":"2022-09-15T02:05:06","modified_gmt":"2022-09-15T07:05:06","slug":"1-on-1-with-kevin-durant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.snkrsday.com\/1-on-1-with-kevin-durant\/","title":{"rendered":"1 on 1 with Kevin Durant"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n
Kevin Durant<\/strong> is rapidly becoming one of the young superstars in the NBA. Although the Oklahoma City Thunder have been one of the lower ranking teams for the past two years, Durant continues to be a dominant force on the court.?Along with a love for basketball, he has also shown a love for sneakers since childhood. This past season, Nike blessed Durant with his first signature sneaker ever in the form of the Nike KD1. Despite requesting that Nike create a low-budget sneaker for the most to afford, the Nike KD1 was easily one of the more well-received basketball sneakers on the market.<\/p>\n

Last week we caught up with Kevin Durant at the Gatorade Player of the Year Awards honoring the best high school athletes. ?In this interview, Kevin Durant discusses who inspired him on the on and off court, what he thinks about the controversial “1 year”, and of course a number of sneaker questions you would ask him as well.<\/p>\n

Click here to view this in-depth interview in its entirety.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

<\/p>\n


\nMatt Halfhill – Snkrs Day: At what age did you decide that you wanted to play in the NBA?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Kevin Durant: Since I was eight years old. I sat my mom down and had an eye to eye talk with her that I wanted to play basketball for a living and I wanted to be great. She pushed me from there. She didn’t give me any breaks, no time off, she made sure that I had the right people around me to help me succeed.<\/p>\n

Snkrs Day: Besides your mom, who else pushed you to succeed at basketball?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Kevin Durant: My godfather taught me the game, my brother who was always there for me, and my grandmother who even though she didn’t know much about the game she made sure that I worked hard at everything that I did and my father as well. That was my circle that pushed me to be the best I could be.<\/p>\n

Snkrs Day: In the NBA, who inspired you to be your best?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Kevin Durant: Vince Carter was that guy who I always looked up to. He always played with that fire and that passion and that’s what I wanted to do. He’s a great player to live up to. He has had a phenomenal career so far and he is with a new team now so its a new beginning for him again. That’s the guy I always wanted to be like. You know, I can’t jump as high as him, but I can play with that passion.<\/p>\n

Snkrs Day: I know that right when you entered the NBA you had offers from Nike and Adidas, what was the ultimate deciding factor for you for which team to join?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Kevin Durant: You know, it was just which company was I most comfortable with. You know, I wore Nike shoes my whole basketball career. I felt most comfortable with them and I think that their shoes greatly benefit me on the court. I’m glad that I’m with Nike – it’s a great family to be apart of.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n

“I’m glad that I’m with Nike – it’s a great family to be apart of.”<\/h1>\n

<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Snkrs Day: Thinking back to your younger days, was there a favorite pair of Nike shoes that you played in?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Kevin Durant: I had the old Tim Duncans, the ones with the strap like web that went across them and I had the all grey Total Max Foamposites too. I would really like to see Nike come back out with those.<\/p>\n

Snkrs Day: When you signed with Nike, one of the first things that I heard was that you wanted your line of shoes to be affordable. How important was this to you?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Kevin Durant: This was very important to me. When I first started playing, I had to play in Shaquille O’Neal’s because my mom couldn’t afford the $100 shoes for me and my brother so I had to play in K-Mart shoes. It would have been great to play in some affordable and comfortable Nike’s, but you know it wasn’t like that back then. Now I just want to make it easier for kids coming up that like my shoes to be able to afford them. Nike did a great job helping me out with that goal of making something great that was also affordable.<\/p>\n

Snkrs Day: Even though the Nike KD1 is one of the cheaper shoes in the Nike lineup, it still performed incredibly well. What were some benchmark standards that you want in your shoes?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Kevin Durant: I want them to be something similar in weight to the Huarache 2k4. Those were light and for guys like me who needed to be quick and guys who needed to move down the floor quicker like the guards or the power forwards, the Rashard Lewis’ or the KG’s in the game. It was very light and cushioning was on point and of course the colorway was perfect for our team. It was a great shoe.<\/p>\n

Kevin Durant wearing the Nike KD1<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Snkrs Day: What was you favorite thing about the Nike KD1?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Kevin Durant: You know, I really like that the sole had everything that I did growing up on it. Where I came from, my parents, my brother, everything that I went through to get to this point was on that shoe. It was definitely something that will stick with me forever.<\/p>\n

Snkrs Day: We caught up with your former teammate DJ Augustin and he told us we needed to ask you about the Nike KD2.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Kevin Durant: Yeah, I have been playing in those for the past couple of months at Texas to get used to them. He said he liked them and he isn’t a really big shoe guy so that says something.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Nike KD2<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\n

Snkrs Day: Are we going to see some of that story telling on the sole of the KD2?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Kevin Durant: [laughs] I think we will. I can’t give you too much right now, but I think you will really like the KD2.<\/p>\n

Snkrs Day: A quick change we saw on the Nike KD2 from the KD1 was a midfoot strap. Were you looking for some additional lock-down support?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Kevin Durant: I was always big on straps, I always liked them on my shoes. My foot felt more secure. I wanted that in my second shoe and they did it for me. I’m excited to hear what you guys think about it and I can tell you that it’s going to be a good shoe.<\/p>\n

Snkrs Day: You played a year at Texas before you entered the NBA, but you still are working on your education in the off season. How important is it to you to continue college?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Kevin Durant: You know, it’s very important because there is life after basketball. That’s what I was always taught and if I want to be better after playing basketball, I need to continue learning. It’s tough to get back into the rhythm of school, but I’m pushing through.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n

“I am glad that they require one year in college because it not only helped me on the court, but off the court as well”<\/h1>\n

<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Snkrs Day: It’s a pretty controversial issue requiring ballers to spend a year in the D-league or at least one year in college. Looking back, what was the greatest thing you learned by playing that one year at Texas?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Kevin Durant: That it was another level. Going straight from a boy to a man is tough. I like to think that it helped me go from being a boy, to a young man, to a grown man. Once I hit college, you know, I was on my own. My parents weren’t there everyday to clean up after me or look over my homework so I had to do it myself. I did get to do this growing up with my teammates though. The team was young with 7 freshmen so we all were going through the same thing. You know, it’s a good thing. I am glad that they require one year in college because it not only helped me on the court, but off the court as well.<\/p>\n

Snkrs Day: What was something you now know about the NBA that you wished you knew when you were heading in?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Kevin Durant: How long the season is – I took that for granted. It’s tough going through 82 games, plus preseason, plus playoffs if you make it, so you play almost 100 games a year…<\/p>\n

Snkrs Day: …And if you play for the national team?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Kevin Durant: Yes! And if you play for the national team that adds another 2 months of playing and practice so basically you only get a month off. It’s tough, but it’s the life that we chose and I hope to go down that road which is to play in the Olympics.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Nike Air Flightposite "Metallic Gold"<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\n

Snkrs Day: What’s the all time sneaker that you have ever owned?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Kevin Durant: Um, I would have to say the Nike Flightposite. I had the gold ones. They looked so good that I couldn’t play in them. Definitely my favorite sneaker.<\/p>\n

Snkrs Day: What about your favorite sneaker that you have never owned?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Kevin Durant: I never had any of the Pennys. I always wanted the Pennys, but I never had any of them. I always got the Pippens, but I never had the Pennys. So hopefully Nike can bring them back out again in a size that I can fit.<\/p>\n

Snkrs Day: Were the Pippens your favorite signature shoes growing up?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Kevin Durant: It was. He had so many unique sneakers – especially the ones with the big “AIR” on the side, the Pippen II’s, and the Pippen’s with just the P logo on the side. He really did have some cool shoes. I think alot of people overlook how great Pippen’s shoes were. I liked them and had a bunch of different colors in them and was fortunate enough to have them.<\/p>\n

Snkrs Day: From Prince George, who has the best closet? You, Michael Beasley, or Wale?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Kevin Durant: Wale, by far. That’s all he does, that’s his image, that’s what he has to do. That’s part of his image and his brand is to have a ton of great shoes and clothes. Plus he isn’t 6-10 or 6-8 like we are so it’s easier for him to go into the stores and buy stuff. He’s a fly guy.<\/p>\n

Snkrs Day: Any given day, what can we find on your feet when you’re off court?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Kevin Durant: [Laughs] Flip-flops. You know, that’s all I wear all day is flip-flops. I hurt my toes so much playing ball, so I just want to give my feet and my toes some room when I’m off the court. But if I’m going somewhere you can find me in Air Force 1s, LeBrons, Jordans. Where I’m from we are big about our sneakers so you can expect to see me in any of those.<\/p>\n

Snkrs Day: If you weren’t playing basketball, what would you want to do as a career?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Kevin Durant: Honestly, I don’t know. Basketball is the only thing that I set my mind to.<\/p>\n

Snkrs Day: But for the life after basketball?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Kevin Durant: I would like to do something that is working with kids. I really enjoy doing that.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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