Kevin Durant

Drafted with the 2nd overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft to the Seattle Supersonics, Kevin Durant has seen a lifetime’s worth of experiences within the League. From his first nine seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder to his highly derided decision to join the Golden State Warriors, the Slim Reaper found himself with Brooklyn Nets for three seasons, forming a failed superstar trio between him, Kyrie Irving, James Harden and at one point, Ben Simmons.

In February 2023, Durant’s trade request from Brooklyn was met just days after his running mate, Kyrie Irving, was traded to the Dallas Mavericks. Hours before the trade deadline, Durant was dealt to the Phoenix Suns in a blockbuster deal. Since that massive transaction, the roster in the desert has been reconfigured around Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal, aiming to build a contender around #7’s generational talent.

Considered one of the greatest scorers of all time, Durant has been dropping buckets in the League for 16 years with four scoring titles, a regular season MVP, back-to-back NBA titles and simultaneous Finals MVPs under his belt.

Durant’s early silhouettes were perfectly timed with the early 2010s obsession with titular storytelling, cementing his on-court kicks legacy with a scintillating three-shoe run between the KD 4, KD 5 and KD 6. Color blocking inspired by his opposing career as a weatherman and childhood memories of shooting on a Nerf hoop further iconized the early years of the 12-time All-Star.

Last employed in a low-top construction with the KD 8, ensuing silhouettes have centered specifically around a mid-top build, fusing an engineered Flyknit upper with full-length Air Zoom cushioning technology underfoot.

Boasting The Swoosh’s current second-longest standing signature line, Durant launched his 17th shoe in April 2024, the new formulation wearing heavy influence from the Air Max Plus. The Nike KD 17 “Producer Pack” provided arguably the splashiest looks for his nascent silhouette, but pairs like the “USA,” “Travel Ball” and “Sunrise,” alluding to various career milestones and formative memories, stand out all the same.

Amid the launch of the KD 17, Durant and Nike began a retro run for his KD 4. Following reprisals for beloved pairs like the “Galaxy” and “Nerf,” the “Aunt Pearl” and “Christmas” colorways are next on the schedule, bringing another set of defining 2010s styles back for a new generation.

From his latest signature basketball to his line’s current retro treatment, for more on Durant and his signature series with the Swoosh, check out the articles below.

Kevin Durant

Revisiting Prices for Legendary Nike Basketball Signature Debuts

With the debut of Kyrie Irving’s first signature model this week, Nike Basketball has been putting a lot of emphasis on their family of signature...

By Zack Schlemmer December 4, 2014
93693

Nike Basketball Revisits LeBron, Kobe, Pippen, and Other Athletes in Their First Shoes

There have been nineteen Nike Basketball signature athletes to date, and tonight, that number will increase to twenty as the brand officially announces the newest...

By John Kim December 3, 2014
79143

Sneaker News NINE@NINE: Unexpected Collaborations

Did you hear that Stan Smith is collaborating with adidas on the Stan Smith? Yes you read that correctly, the man that that signature sneaker...

By Brendan Dunne September 16, 2014
32796

Sneaker Headlines & Predictions for June 2014

June is a bit of a unique month. While the industry slows down a lot in terms of news updates and such (the Summer vacation...

By John Kim June 5, 2014
59690

10 Sneaker Headlines To Remember From May 2014

May is more or less in the books, and we’ve already transitioned into a summer of sneakers that’s sure to deliver on brightly colored pairs,...

By Sneaker News June 1, 2014
46299

Comparing the Nike KD and LeBron Through The First Six Models

LeBron James and Kevin Durant and unquestionably 1a and 1b on Nike’s order of importance, but they took different routes to climb to their respective...

By John Kim May 15, 2014
52681

Sneaker News NINE@NINE: Food Inspired Sneakers

Special edition sneakers are increasingly showing up with elaborate back stories and themes attached to helped build their mystique. This has been going on for...

By Brendan Dunne April 29, 2014
15122

Sneaker News NINE@NINE: Easter Edition

Earlier this year, Sneaker News examined the history of Nike Chinese New Year sneakers, noting that the first ‘Year of the . . . ‘...

By Aaron Hope April 15, 2014
13981

How Nike Basketball Made The 2014 Elite Series Its Best Ever

You don’t need to go much farther than Nike to get a straightforward example of what the essence of evolution is. Year after year, the...

By John Kim April 10, 2014
60370