Early life and high school career

Kevin Durant was born Kevin Wayne Durant in Washington, D.C. on September 29, 1988, one of four children of Wanda and Wayne Pratt. Durant has one sister, Brianna, and two brothers, Tony, and Rayvonne. Durant was raised by his parents and his grandmother, Barbara Davis. During his childhood, Durant and Michael Beasley grew up together, and had a close friendship. The two remain friends to this day.

A basketball player from his earliest days, Durant played for a successful Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) youth basketball team, the PG Jaguars, based in Prince George's County, Maryland. The Jaguars won multiple national championships with Durant and fellow future blue chip recruits Michael Beasley and Chris Braswell. Durant wore, and continues to wear, the number 35 jersey in honor of his childhood mentor and Amateur Athletic Union coach, Charles Craig, who was murdered at the age of 35.^[6]

Durant later moved on to play AAU basketball with fellow McDonald's All-American Ty Lawson of the Denver Nuggets, for the D.C. Blue Devils. After spending two years at National Christian Academy, and one year at Oak Hill Academy, Durant grew five inches and was 6'7" when he started at Montrose Christian School in Rockville, Maryland for his senior year, during which he grew two more inches.^[7] At Montrose, Durant led the team in scoring and steals and was named the Washington Post All Met Basketball Player of the Year. During his time at Montrose, he played in The Les Schwab Invitational, a nationally drawing invitational basketball tournament in Oregon State. Durant also played with current New Orleans Hornets point guard Greivis Vasquez while at Montrose. Vetter described Durant as a hard working player, complete with size, and incredible skills in shooting, ball handling, defense, and even some post up moves.^[8] Durant also was named a McDonald's All American and named co-MVP of the 2006 McDonald's All American game along with Chase Budinger. Behind Greg Oden, Durant was widely regarded as the second-best high school prospect.^[9][10]