Kevin Durant recently reached a major milestone by recording his 5,000th career assist. This achievement makes him the third-fastest player in NBA history to accumulate 30,000 points, 5,000 rebounds, and 5,000 assists, as reported by the NBA.
According to the BBC, Durant also recently became just the eighth player in NBA history to reach 31,000 career points during the Houston Rockets’ 117-98 win against the Phoenix Suns.
“As you’re coming up into the league, you look at these guys as heroes and you put them on pedestals, and you look at their accomplishments as sometimes unreachable,” Durant stated, according to the BBC.
“But then you get on that road trying to do your thing. That’s what I’ve done since 2008. I’ve been focused on trying to be the best player I can be, and they set a standard for each player when they left the league.
“Guys like Wilt, Michael, Kobe—I’m missing so many guys—they just set a standard that I try to reach every day,” he stated.
The 37-year-old is, however, dedicated to sharing his success with the community that helped raise him. As a serial investor, his venture capital firm, Thirty Five Ventures (35V), boasts a substantial portfolio of over 100 startups, according to its website.
As reported by AfroTech, these investments include the NJ/NY Gotham Football Club of the National Women’s Soccer League, the plant-based superfood nutrition company Happy Viking, and the health tracking firm WHOOP.
Durant is actively expanding his impact to benefit his hometown of Prince George’s County, Maryland. In 2019, he committed $10 million to open an after-school facility there, known as the College Track at The Durant Center.
The program, according to information on Instagram, is dedicated to helping first-generation and underserved students earn a four-year degree.
Durant’s decision to make this multi-million-dollar, 10-year commitment was influenced by a 2017 visit to a College Track location in Oakland, CA, as noted on the organization’s website.
The center represents College Track’s first East Coast location and was established through a partnership between the Kevin Durant Charity Foundation and Prince George’s County Public Schools.
The College Track at The Durant Center, as reported by ESPN, offers a comprehensive range of support, including scholarships, tutoring, and both emotional and financial assistance.
Additionally, it provides students with opportunities for leadership skill building, college workshops and tours, academic advising, and networking.
“We got a lot of resources in our county, and my influence and my name over the last two decades just been around the county from community events just from investing back into the community. So, I bought a building. I had started an after-school program and it was going well,” Durant reflected on the “Unguarded” podcast.
Durant, considered one of the best basketball players to ever play, is currently in his 19th NBA season.
His exceptional career was recognized in 2021 when he was named to the Top 75 as part of the 75th Anniversary Team. Financially, Durant has achieved significant success, with career earnings exceeding $501 million, according to Spotrac.
Beyond his on-court achievements, Durant has made substantial moves in the business world. He has a lifetime deal with Nike, as previously reported by AfroTech.
Furthermore, he is the co-founder of Boardroom, a sports, media, and entertainment brand he launched with his business partner, Rich Kleiman.
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