Kevin Durant to return to University of Texas for special on-campus NBA game in February

Kevin Durant is coming home. On Feb. 20, the 14-time NBA All-Star and his Phoenix Suns will square off against the San Antonio Spurs at the Moody Center — the home arena of Texas men’s basketball.

Although it will be Durant’s first game back on campus since 2007, it won’t be in the same arena. When Durant was at Texas, the Longhorns played in the Frank Erwin Center, also known as “The Drum.” Texas completed the demolition of the Frank Erwin Center earlier this year.

Durant only spent one season at Texas but he created a lasting legacy. The Washington, D.C. native averaged 25.8 points, 11.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game, boosting the Longhorns to a 25–10 overall record and a 12–4 mark in conference play.

Texas earned a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament and easily defeated New Mexico State in the first round. However, disaster struck when USC upset the Longhorns in the Round of 32 despite a 30-point effort from Durant.

For his excellent season, Durant was named the unanimous national player of the year, winning the John R. Wooden Award, the Naismith College Player of the Year Award and all eight other widely recognized Player of the Year honors.

The Seattle Supersonics selected Durant with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft and Texas retired his jersey only two years later. Of course, Durant wasn’t done making history.

In his 16 years in the NBA, Durant has garnered a treasure trove of accolades, including two NBA championships, the 2014 MVP Award, six appearances on the All-NBA First Team, the NBA Rookie of the Year Award, four scoring titles and four Olympic gold medals.

Now, Durant is returning to the place where he became a household name: Austin, Texas.

Kevin Durant becomes most decorated MBB Olympian of all time

After taking home first place at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Durant is now one gold medal ahead of both Carmelo Anthony and his teammate on the 2024 team, LeBron James, who both have a trio of gold medals.

He’s won gold at four-consecutive Summer Olympics: 2012 in London, 2016 in Rio, 2020 in Tokyo and 2024 in Paris.

Durant and Stephen Curry each scored a team-high 15 points in Team USA’s win over France in the gold medal game. The former Longhorn now stands alone as the all-time leading scorer in the American basketball program, men’s or women’s.