“Kevin Durant was an NBA All-Star in 11th grade”: PJ Tucker recounts how the Slim Reaper DOMINATED a pickup game at Texas A&M recruiting as a high school junior

According to PJ Tucker, Kevin Durant was always destined for greatness. This was something PJ realized in a pickup game against the then HS junior.

Looking at the tall, thin, frankly otherworldly physique of Kevin Durant, one could be forgiven for believing he’d be an all-time great even when he was young. But it wasn’t KD’s physique that led people to this conclusion.

It was the way he dedicated himself to the game of basketball and improving his skills. And this work ethic is something that’s clear to hoops enthusiasts the minute they see you.

PJ Tucker and the rest of the college fraternity was waiting for the arrival of KD on the scene with bated breath. He was, after all, the most hyped forward prospect since the 2003 Draft class.

Getting the nation’s no. 2 player onto their college team was something every college coach wanted to do. But it was PJ Tucker and his Texas A&M coaching staff won out in the end.

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PJ Tucker says Kevin Durant was an NBA All-Star level player as a HS junior

The former Bucks and Rockets forward was a guest with Iman Shumpert on The Life Podcast over 2 years back. This is a classic podcast interview – very low-profile and full of unknown stories from NBA lore for fans.

Shumpert was listening intently to PJ Tucker when the latter brought up a nice recruiting story from Texas. PJ Tucker was responsible for convincing Kevin Durant and his mom Wanda about their college campus.

Tucker also told viewers about the pickup game where he first saw how great Kevin Durant already was. According to the 36-year-old, KD was killing college players in pickup even as a high school junior:

“Alright, so that pickup’s crazy, right? He comes in and…I’ve never seen somebody dominate a pickup like the way he dominated.”

“There’s pros, college guys about to be pros. Everybody in the gym was like ‘Alright, why is he coming in here? Yo, he has no business going to college, he’s an NBA All-Star in his 11th grade.”

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