Kevin Durant’s mom, Wanda, has been a pillar of support and strength, standing with him since the beginning. All of his fans know how integral she was to his journey, especially due to the MVP speech he gave in 2014.
But the 15-time All-Star has never spoken at length about the involvement of his father, Wayne Pratt, who was also an influential figure in his life when he was growing up. Recently, talking about the struggles his teen parents faced, he opened up on ‘The Pivot Podcast.’
“She taught me a lot through that, but as I got older, I started understanding that I had teen parents. You know what I’m saying? My dad and my mom were trying to figure this out at 18-19. At 18, they had my brother; they were 21, and they had me.” Durant said.
He talked about the difficulties they faced in their journey, and how they did not let that stain what they were trying to build with the two kids. They kept their differences separate as much as they could.
“Their relationship is what it is, and it has taken them to different places. And sometimes my dad was there, sometimes, he wasn’t, you know what I’m saying? But they never made me feel like that was a problem, though. It’s like I felt love from both sides. And my mom struggled just like a lot of people struggle, who work in a postal office job with two kids, and are trying to figure it out,” he added.
Durant was taught never to complain or crib about what needs to be done. Yes, it might seem gigantic and impossible to deal with, but you put one step in front of the other and keep moving forward.
“She didn’t complain; she just went to work, and she didn’t make us seem like she was doing something astronomical. Like she was just taking it day by day. Kept it simple. And I just emulated that as much as possible,” the Houston Rockets superstar said.
He also spoke about how he learned to be grounded and humble from his father. Durant’s father wasn’t always there, but he made sure he passed down the important lessons to the future basketball legend.
“And then my dad, he showed so much humility all the time, like, he knew his relationship wasn’t perfect with my mom, my brother, and myself, but any chance that he could come support me and be there for me, he showed up, you know what I’m saying? I don’t talk a lot about that part of the two, but my mom has had to deal with a lot on her own, and then there were times when my dad had to come in and help too,” he added.
The former Golden State Warriors superstar largely grew up without his father during his infancy and early years. Around the time he was thirteen, Wayne Pratt returned to his life. He helped with Durant’s basketball journey and guided him wherever he could.
“But the overall aspect of them figuring it out at that age, with two kids, and wanting us to become something, and not just letting us do whatever we want to do; we were structured every day, my mom made sure we were at the gym, the school, and did our work. Pops made sure if you had to pick me up, you know, from AAU practice, he was there,” Durant revealed.
There were a lot of distractions in the neighborhood where they grew up, and with a young mom struggling to make ends meet, it is sometimes natural for kids to fall into the wrong crowds. But Wanda Durant knew what needed to be done.
“They made sure that we made it, you know what I mean? If it wasn’t basketball or something, my mom made sure I was locked in on whatever I was locked in on. And pops came in and did reinforce that too when he could,” he added.
The 37-year-old was brought up by a woman working in the postal service with the help of a man working as a police officer. So it was natural for him to grow up with discipline. Today, he looks back and realizes how lucky he was to have had the support system that he did.
“So, I had some great, great resources, great parents, who tried as hard as they could, who, when I look back on it, made sure that we have a good life and that we don’t fall victim to the streets,” Durant said in conclusion.
Durant begins his 19th season in the league with the Houston Rockets. So far in the first four games, he has averaged 27.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.0 assists while shooting an efficient 52.2% from the floor.
All the guidance and the lessons he was taught might come in handy as he tried to lead a talented young team all the way to a championship.
