Durant gives back to UT with $3 million donation
AUSTIN — Kevin Durant spent just one season at the University of Texas, but that was enough for him to fall in love with the school and the city that houses it.
The 2007 national college player of the year returns often for visits and various ventures. And on Thursday, Texas announced Durant donated $3 million to the school for some new projects. It is the largest outright gift by a former UT basketball player.
“My time as a Longhorn helped build the foundation for who I am today as a player and a person, and the UT team will always be my family,” Durant said in a statement. “It’s important to me to continue to give back to the university and ensure that future studentathletes have all the opportunities they need to succeed. It’s an honor to have such a close and unique relationship with Texas Basketball, and I’m grateful to be able to contribute.”
Hoops programs get bulk
Of the unexpected windfall, $2.5 million will go to the men’s and women’s basketball programs. Inside Cooley Pavilion, the donation will fund major renovations of the men’s and women’s basketball locker rooms, resurfacing of both practice courts, audio improvements and the creation of formal office space.
The remaining $500,000 will benefit UT’s Center for Sports Leadership and Innovation, which launched in 2014 to “leverage the university’s academic and sports capital to cultivate leadership and character reform among studentathletes across the country.”
Durant, an NBA champion with the Golden State Warriors and former league MVP with the Oklahoma City Thunder, can afford it. In 2017, he earned more than $60 million from his NBA contract, endorsements and sponsorships, according to Forbes.
“Kevin Durant has an incredibly strong and personal connection with not only our basketball program, but the University of Texas as a whole. Each time I’ve had the opportunity to visit with Kevin, I’ve been impressed with his genuine appreciation for his time, growth and development at Texas,” coach Shaka Smart said. “This gift means a great deal to our entire university, but it’s more of a reflection of how meaningful the relationships that Kevin built while at Texas remain to this day.”
Name memorialized
In honor of Durant’s massive endowment, the main entrance to Cooley will be named the Kevin Durant Texas Basketball Center. The men’s practice facility will be renamed the Kevin Durant Basketball Facility for Men.
“We are so lucky to have Kevin Durant as not only one of our all-time greats and a supporter of our program but also as an awesome ambassador for the University of Texas,” new athletics director Chris Del Conte said. “I’ve had great respect and admiration for him from afar for years, but now seeing firsthand the impact he has on this campus and within our athletics department, it’s truly amazing. He is a special person who clearly has a great passion and love for the Longhorns, and we appreciate him so much.”