Kevin Durant Reveals How NBA Fame Opened Doors To Business Beyond Basketball
Kevin Durant says his NBA career gave him a huge platform, helping him enter business, media and new opportunities beyond basketball.
Kevin Durant Says NBA Stardom Opened Doors Beyond Basketball
Kevin Durant has spent years building his name on the NBA stage, but the Houston Rockets star says basketball gave him much more than championships and awards. During a recent O.U.R. Mothers seminar, Durant explained how playing in the NBA helped him find business opportunities and reach people far beyond the court.
Speaking during the Zoom event, Durant pointed to the NBA's huge audience as one of the biggest reasons his business life grew. “Just a platform. I think the most views that I've had comes from playing in the NBA Finals. Being on that platform in the NBA has opened so many doors, and I'm so grateful to be a part of this league for half of my life.”
Durant has used that platform to build a strong presence outside basketball. He co-founded Boardroom with Rich Kleiman, while also working through 35V on business and investment projects. Boardroom has featured conversations with major names from sports and entertainment, giving Durant another way to stay connected with a wider audience.
The NBA Finals played a major role in making Durant a global sports name. He reached the Finals four times and went 2-2 in those series, winning championships with the Golden State Warriors in 2017 and 2018. Those runs also brought him two straight Finals MVP awards.
Kevin Durant's NBA Finals Runs Built His Biggest Platform
Durant's first Finals trip came with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2012, when LeBron James and the Miami Heat won the championship. His next three appearances came with Golden State, including back-to-back wins over James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2017 and 2018.
Those championship runs gave Durant some of the biggest stages of his career. In 2017, he averaged 35.2 points in the Finals, while his 2018 series included a playoff career-high 43-point game. NBA.com records show just how much Durant produced when the audience was at its largest.
That exposure now matters as Durant enters another chapter with Houston. The Rockets are heading into the 2026-27 season with Durant alongside young players such as Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson, who recently agreed to a five-year, $208 million extension. Durant's NBA platform continues to give his work outside basketball a much wider reach.