Kevin Durant’s relationship with his dad has never been easy, and it’s hard to blame him for that. Wayne Pratt was on-and-off with his involvement with raising KD, returning to his life in a larger capacity when Kevin was 13 years old. Over time, their bond strengthened however, and today, Durant speaks in a tone that’s more understanding than bitter.
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In a recent interview, Durant spoke about the role his parents played in making him the player he is today. Yes, most of the praise falls on his mom Wanda, because she mainly raised him along with KD’s grandma. But over time, Durant understood that he had two parents growing up, even though Wayne wasn’t around all too much.
Wayne and Wanda’s relationship didn’t work out, and that took them to different places in life, as Durant suggested. But it never turned out to be a problem for him. He always felt loved, and that’s something he realized with time.
Durant, who credited his mom for helping him achieve all the success in the world on stage after winning the 2014 MVP and called her “The Real MVP”, now also shed light on his dad. “He showed so much humility all the time, like, he knows his relationship wasn’t perfect with my mom, my brother and myself.”
“But any chance he could come and support me and be there, he showed up,” Durant added.
“I don’t talk a lot about that part of the two, but my mom has had to deal a lot with her own. And then there was times my dad had to come in and help too. You know what I’m saying? But the overall aspect of them figuring out that age, with two kids, and wanting us to become something and not just letting us do whatever we wanted to do, we were structured every day…”
Durant, now 37 years old and with the resume of a Hall of Famer, feels both his parents tried as hard as they could. He has highlighted his mom’s sacrifices multiple times over the years, but about his dad, he concluded by saying, “My dad was quietly a real G about the situation.”
Wayne thanked Kevin for forgiving him
As much as one tires to make up for it in later life, being abandoned is something that’s mentally extremely difficult for someone to recover from. Still, Durant forgave him. And for that, Wayne was grateful.
In a father’s day letter he once wrote to his son, Wayne stated, ‘I regret missing out on your first day of school, your first haircut, holidays and the first day you picked up a basketball. But I thank God daily for creating the opportunity for us to reconnect.’
‘Thank you for forgiving me and allowing us to have the great relationship we have today.’
Wayne is now, very much, a part of KD’s life, and interestingly, was also the one to advice his son to be selfish when he was contemplating leaving the Thunder for the Warriors in 2016. Had Durant not made that move, he may not have had two NBA championships to his name.
Every parent plays a role in shaping a child’s life. Even if they’re not always around. Durant’s dad proved just that.
