Kevin Durant’s 2014 MVP speech has been etched as one of the most wholesome, emotional, and tender moments in sports history. “You’re the real MVP,” he said as tears were flowing down on his face and looking at her mom Wanda.
The current Houston Rockets star won the MVP after averaging 32 points per game, his career high so far. He led the Oklahoma City Thunder to a second best record in the Western Conference and NBA semis finish.
In his speech, he highlighted how her mother persevered to give him and his siblings a great life despite the odds.
“I don’t think you know what you did,” he said during the ceremony.
“You had my brother when you were 18 years old. Three years later, I came out. The odds were stacked against us. Single parent with two boys by the time you were 21 years old.
“We wasn’t supposed to be here. You made us believe. You kept us off the street. You put clothes on our backs, food on the table. When you didn’t eat, you made sure we ate. You went to sleep hungry. You sacrificed for us.”
Over the years, Mommy Wanda became a fixture in his games and milestones and she has shown love for her son, even getting to it with KD’s opponents.
Kevin Durant discusses father
The two-time champion always honors her mother but don’t mistake for a moment that his father is not behind the scenes.
In a very rare moment, KD discussed how his father named Wayne Pratt did not abandon them even if their family situation is unusual.
“Sometimes my dad was there, sometimes he wasn’t, but (my parents) never made me feel like that was a problem,” he said during a guesting on The Pivot. “I felt love from both sides.”
He then emphasized that he did not lack the fatherly love he should be getting even if his parents were supported.
“My dad was quietly just a real G about the situation and really understood and held himself accountable for the years that he did miss, but he made it up in an amazing way, too.”
As for her mom getting more attention and credits from the public, Durant clarified that his father does not care about it.
“He just never required none of that. He didn’t care about that,” he said. “He loved that my mom was getting love like that and people respected her journey, didn’t overlook what she did in this situation. But he understood that yeah, there were times when he could have been better, too, so he’s just always been there with me, but he’s just stayed out of the spotlight. But he was always around, every step of the way.”
The last time his father publicly spoke about him was when he wrote a Father’s Day letter to the future NBA great in 2018 when he was still with the Golden State Warriors with whom he already won his elusive championships.
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