It has been suggested that Foot type be merged into this article or section. (Discuss) Proposed since August 2009.

Foot
Latin	pes
Artery	dorsalis pedis, medial plantar, lateral plantar
Nerve	medial plantar, lateral plantar, deep fibular, superficial fibular
MeSH	Foot
Dorlands/Elsevier	Foot

The foot (plural feet) is an anatomical structure found in many vertebrates. It is the terminal portion of a limb which bears weight and allows locomotion. In many animals with feet, the foot is a separate organ at the terminal part of the leg made up of one or more segments or bones, generally including claws or nails.

Culture[link]

Humans usually wear shoes or similar footwear covering material for protection from hazards when walking outside. Foot fetishism is the most common form of sexual fetish.^[1][2]

Human foot[link]

Anatomy[link]

The human foot and ankle is a strong and complex mechanical structure containing more than 26 bones, 33 joints (20 of which are actively articulated), and more than a hundred muscles, tendons, and ligaments.^[3]

An anthropometric study of 1197 North American adult Caucasian males (mean age 35.5 years) found that a man's foot length was 26.3 cm with a standard deviation of 1.2 cm.^[4]

The foot can be subdivided into the hindfoot, the midfoot, and the forefoot:

The hindfoot is composed of the talus (or ankle bone) and the calcaneus (or heel bone). The two long bones of the lower leg, the tibia and fibula, are connected to the top of the talus to form the ankle. Connected to the talus at the subtalar joint, the calcaneus, the largest bone of the foot, is cushioned inferiorly by a layer of fat.^[3]

The five irregular bones of the midfoot, the cuboid, navicular, and three cuneiform bones, form the arches of the foot which serves as a shock absorber. The midfoot is connected to the hind- and fore-foot by muscles and the plantar fascia.^[3]

The forefoot is composed of five toes and the corresponding five proximal long bones forming the metatarsus. Similar to the fingers of the hand, the bones of the toes are called phalanges and the big toe has two phalanges while the other four toes have three phalanges. The joints between the phalanges are called interphalangeal and those between the metatarsus and phalanges are called metatarsophalangeal (MTP).^[3]

Both the midfoot and forefoot constitute the dorsum (the area facing upwards while standing) and the planum (the area facing downwards while standing).

The instep is the arched part of the top of the foot between the toes and the ankle.

Skeleton[link]

A human foot; label three is the instep.

• tibia, fibula
• tarsus: talus, calcaneus, cuneiformes, cuboid, and navicular
• metatarsus: first, second, third, fourth, and fifth metatarsal bone
• phalanges

There can be many sesamoid bones near the metatarsophalangeal joints, although they are only regularly present in the distal portion of the first metatarsal bone.^[5]

Arches[link]

The human foot has two longitudinal arches and a transverse arch maintained by the interlocking shapes of the foot bones, strong ligaments, and pulling muscles during activity. The slight mobility of these arches when weight is applied to and removed from the foot makes walking and running more economical in terms of energy. As can be examined in a footprint, the medial longitudinal arch curves above the ground. This arch stretches from the heel bone over the "keystone" ankle bone to the three medial metatarsals. In contrast, the lateral longitudinal arch is very low. With the cuboid serving as its keystone, it redistributes part of the weight to the calcaneus and the distal end of the fifth metatarsal. The two longitudinal arches serve as pillars for the transverse arch which run obliquely across the tarsometatarsal joints. Excessive strain on the tendons and ligaments of the feet can result in fallen arches or flat feet.^[6]

Muscles[link]

The muscles acting on the foot can be classified into extrinsic muscles, those originating on the anterior or posterior aspect of the lower leg, and intrinsic muscles, originating on the dorsal or plantar aspects of the foot.

Extrinsic[link]

Anterior leg muscles.

All muscles originating on the lower leg except the popliteus muscle are attached to the bones of the foot. The tibia and fibula and the interosseous membrane separate these muscles into anterior and posterior groups, in their turn subdivided into subgroups and layers. ^[7]

Anterior group

Extensor group: tibialis anterior originates on the proximal half of the tibia and the interosseous membrane and is inserted near the tarsometatarsal joint of the first digit. In the non-weight-bearing leg tibialis anterior flexes the foot dorsally and lift its medial edge (supination). In the weight-bearing leg it brings the leg towards the back of the foot, like in rapid walking. Extensor digitorum longus arises on the lateral tibial condyle and along the fibula to be inserted on the second to fifth digits and proximally on the fifth metatarsal. The extensor digitorum longus acts similar to the tibialis anterior except that it also dorsiflexes the digits. Extensor hallucis longus originates medially on the fibula and is inserted on the first digit. As the name implies it dorsiflexes the big toe and also acts on the ankle in the unstressed leg. In the weight-bearing leg it acts similar to the tibialis anterior. ^[8]

Peroneal group: peroneus longus arises on the proximal aspect of the fibula and peroneus brevis below it on the same bone. Together, their tendons pass behind the lateral malleolus. Distally, peroneus longus crosses the plantar side of the foot to reach its insertion on the first tarsometatarsal joint, while peroneus brevis reaches the proximal part of the fifth metatarsal. These two muscles are the strongest pronators and aid in plantar flexion. Longus also acts like a bowstring that braces the transverse arch of the foot. ^[9]

Deep and superficial layers of posterior leg muscles

Posterior group

The superficial layer of posterior leg muscles is formed by the triceps surae and the plantaris. The triceps surae consists of the soleus and the two heads of the gastrocnemius. The heads of gastrocnemius arise on the femur, proximal to the condyles, and soleus arises on the proximal dorsal parts of the tibia and fibula. The tendons of these muscles merge to be inserted onto the calcaneus as the Achilles tendon. Plantaris originates on the femur proximal to the lateral head of the gastrocnemius and its long tendon is embedded medially into the Achilles tendon. The triceps surae is the primary plantar flexor and its strength becomes most obvious during ballet dancing. It is fully activated only with the knee extended because the gastrocnemius is shortened during knee flexion. During walking it not only lifts the heel, but also flexes the knee, assisted by the plantaris.^[10]

In the deep layer of posterior muscles tibialis posterior arises proximally on the back of the interosseous membrane and adjoining bones and divides into two parts in the sole of the foot to attach to the tarsus. In the non-weight-bearing leg, it produces plantar flexion and supination, and, in the weight-bearing leg, it proximates the heel to the calf. flexor hallucis longus arises on the back of the fibula (i.e. on the lateral side), and its relatively thick muscle belly extends distally down to the flexor retinaculum where it passes over to the medial side to stretch across the sole to the distal phalanx of the first digit. The popliteus is also part of this group, but, with its oblique course across the back of the knee, does not act on the foot. ^[11]

Intrinsic[link]

On the back (top) of the foot, the tendons of extensor digitorum brevis and extensor hallucis brevis lie deep to the system of long extrinsic extensor tendons. They both arise on the calcaneus and extend into the dorsal aponeurosis of digits one to four, just beyond the penultimate joints. They act to dorsiflex the digits. ^[12]

Plantar aspects of foot, varying depths (superficial to deep)

Similar to the intrinsic muscles of the hand, there are three groups of muscles in the sole of foot, those of the first and last digits, and a central group:

Muscles of the big toe: abductor hallucis stretches medially along the border of the sole, from the calcaneus to the first digit. Below its tendon, the tendons of the long flexors pass through the tarsal canal. It is an abductor and a weak flexor, and also helps maintain the arch of the foot. flexor hallucis brevis arises on the medial cuneiform bone and related ligaments and tendons. An important plantar flexor, it is crucial for ballet dancing. Both these muscles are inserted with two heads proximally and distally to the first metatarsophalangeal joint. Adductor hallucis is part of this group, though it originally formed a separate system (see contrahens.) It has two heads, the oblique head originating obliquely across the central part of the midfoot, and the transverse head originating near the metatarsophalangeal joints of digits five to three. Both heads are inserted into the lateral sesamoid bone of the first digit. Adductor hallucis acts as a tensor of the plantar arches and also adducts the big toe and then might plantar flex the proximal phalanx. ^[13]

Muscles of the little toe: Stretching laterally from the calcaneus to the proximal phalanx of the fifth digit, abductor digiti minimi form the lateral margin of the foot and is the largest of the muscles of the fifth digit. Arising from the base of the fifth metatarsal, flexor digiti minimi is inserted together with abductor on the first phalanx. Often absent, opponens digiti minimi originates near the cuboid bone and is inserted on the fifth metatarsal bone. These three muscles act to support the arch of the foot and to plantar flex the fifth digit. ^[14]

Central muscles of foot

Central muscle group: The four lumbricales arise on the medial side of the tendons of flexor digitorum longus and are inserted on the medial margins of the proximal phalanges. Quadratus plantae originates with two slips from the lateral and medial margins of the calcaneus and inserts into the lateral margin of the flexor digitorum tendon. It is also known as flexor accessorius. Flexor digitorum brevis arise inferiorly on the calcaneus and its three tendons are inserted into the middle phalanges of digits two to four (sometimes also the fifth digit). These tendons divide before their insertions and the tendons of flexor digitorum longus pass through these divisions. Flexor digitorum brevis flexes the middle phalanges. It is occasionally absent. Between the toes, the dorsal and plantar interossei stretch from the metatarsals to the proximal phalanges of digits two to five. The plantar interossei adducts and the dorsal interossei abducts these digits and are also plantar flexors at the metatarsophalangeal joints. ^[15]

Medical aspects[link]

Due to their position and function, feet are exposed to a variety of potential infections and injuries, including athlete's foot, bunions, ingrown toenails, Morton's neuroma, plantar fasciitis, plantar warts and stress fractures. In addition, there are several genetic disorders that can affect the shape and function of the feet, including a club foot or flat feet.

This leaves humans more vulnerable to medical problems that are caused by poor leg and foot alignments. Also, the wearing of shoes, sneakers and boots can impede proper alignment and movement within the ankle and foot. For example, High-heeled footwear are known to throw off the natural weight balance (this can also affect the lower back). For the sake of posture, flat soles and heels are advised.

A doctor who specializes in the treatment of the feet practices podiatry and is called a podiatrist. A pedorthist specializes in the use and modification of footwear to treat problems related to the lower limbs.

Fractures of the foot include:

• Lisfranc fracture — in which one or all of the metatarsals are displaced from the tarsus^[16]
• Jones fracture] — a fracture of the fifth metatarsal
• March fracture] — a fracture of the distal third of one of the metatarsals occurring because of recurrent stress
• Calcaneal fracture

Foot sweat is the major cause of foot odor. Sweat itself is odorless, but it creates a beneficial environment for certain bacteria to grow and produce bad-smelling substances.

Evolutionary variations[link]

A paw is the soft foot of a mammal, generally a quadruped, that has claws or nails. A hard foot is called a hoof.

Depending on style of locomotion, animals can be classified as plantigrade (sole walking), digitigrade (toe walking), or unguligrade (nail walking).

The metatarsals are the bones that make up the main part of the foot in humans, and part of the leg in large animals or paw in smaller animals. The number of metatarsals are directly related to the mode of locomotion with many larger animals having their digits reduced to two (elk, cow, sheep) or one (horse). The metatarsal bones of feet and paws are tightly grouped compared to, most notably, the human hand where the thumb metacarpal diverges from the rest of the metacarpus. ^[17]

See also[link]

Footnotes[link]

References[link]

• France, Diane L. (2008). Human and Nonhuman Bone Identification: A Color Atlas. CRC Press. ISBN 1-4200-6286-7. http://books.google.com/?id=Z-C1jKNgjmQC&pg=PA532. 
• Marieb, Elaine Nicpon; Hoehn, Katja (2007). Human anatomy & physiology. Pearson Education. ISBN 0-321-37294-8. http://books.google.com/?id=x1uEB68iitwC. 
• Platzer, Werner (2004). Color Atlas of Human Anatomy, Vol. 1: Locomotor System (5th ed.). Thieme. ISBN 3-13-533305-1. 
• "Anatomy of the foot and ankle". Podiatry Channel. http://www.podiatrychannel.com/anatomy/index.shtml. Retrieved August 2009. 

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Foot

Look up foot in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• Foot at the Open Directory Project

v t e Human regional anatomy (TA A01.1) Head Forehead · Ear · Jaw · Face (Cheek, Eye, Nose, Mouth, Chin) · Occiput · Scalp · Temple Neck Throat · Adam's apple Trunk Chest (Breast) · Abdomen (Navel) · Back · Pelvis (Sex organs) Limbs Upper limb Shoulder · Axilla · Arm Elbow · Forearm Wrist · Hand · Finger (Thumb · Index · Middle · Ring · Little) Lower limb/ (see also leg) Hip · Buttocks · Thigh Knee · Calf · Crus Ankle · Heel · Foot · Toe (Hallux · Long  • Third  • Fourth  • Fifth) · Sole General anatomy: systems and organs, regional anatomy, planes and lines, superficial axial anatomy, superficial anatomy of limbs

James Harden

Harden in 2011
No. 13 – Oklahoma City Thunder
Shooting guard
Personal information
Born	(1989-08-26) August 26, 1989 (age 22) Los Angeles, California
Nationality	American
High school	Artesia HS (Lakewood, California)
Listed height	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Listed weight	220 lb (100 kg)
Career information
College	Arizona State (2007–2009)
NBA Draft	2009 / Round: 1 / Pick: 3rd overall
Selected by the Oklahoma City Thunder
Pro career	2009–present
Career history
2009–present	Oklahoma City Thunder
Career highlights and awards
NBA Sixth Man of the Year (2012) NBA All-Rookie Second Team (2010) Consensus All-American First Team (2009) Pac-10 Player of the Year (2009) 2× All-Pac-10 First Team (2008, 2009)
Stats at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

James Edward Harden, Jr. (born August 26, 1989) is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Arizona State Sun Devils, where he was named a consensus All-American and Pac-10 Player of the Year in 2009. Harden was selected third overall by the Thunder in the 2009 NBA Draft, and was named NBA Sixth Man of the Year with the team in 2012.^[1] The shooting guard is well-known for his conspicuous beard.

Early years[link]

High school[link]

Harden attended Artesia High School in Lakewood, California. In his sophomore year, he averaged 13.2 points as Artesia went 28–5. He improved his stats to 18.8 points, 7.7 boards and 3.5 assists in his junior season and led Artesia to the California state title and a 33–1 record. Artesia won the state title in Harden's final year too by going 33–2. Harden had similar stats as during the previous season: 18.8 points, 7.9 rebounds and 3.9 assists. He was named a Parade and McDonald's All-American.

He also helped his AAU team, Pump-N-Run Elite, to the 2006 Las Vegas Adidas Super 64 championship.^[2] Harden had 34 points in the victory over a DC Assault team which included Michael Beasley, Nolan Smith and Austin Freeman. In the game against Houston Hoops, played on the same day, Harden had 33 points. In the final, Pump-N-Run Elite beat Kevin Love's Southern California All-Stars.

College career[link]

Arizona State

Left: Harden makes contact with Alfred Aboya inside; Right: Harden on defense

Arizona State was picked to finish 9th in the Pac-10 Conference.^[3] Due to the help of Harden's average of 17.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists, the Sun Devils went 21–13 (9–9) and finished tied for 5th in the Pac-10. They were considered a bubble team for the 2008 NCAA Tournament. Left out of the NCAA tournament, they were selected to the 2008 NIT field and defeated Alabama State and Southern Illinois before falling to defending national champion Florida.

After his freshman year, Harden was named first team all-Pac-10 and was named to the conference all-freshman team.^[4] Harden was also named first team All-District by the NABC and the USBWA.

Entering his sophomore year, Harden appeared on many pre-season All-American lists and appeared on the cover of the Sports Illustrated college basketball preview issue. He was named to the Wooden Award preseason watch list.^[5] On November 30, 2008, Harden scored a career-high 40 points in an 88–58 victory over UTEP.^[6] On the Tempe campus, a popular t-shirt emerged for his fans. It read, "Die Harden Fan".^[7]

Harden was named to the 2009 All-Pac 10 Tournament Team following Arizona State's defeat by USC at the Staples Center.^[8]

Following the conference season, Harden was named the Pacific-10 Conference's Player of the Year.^[9] He was also named a consensus All-American. After the conclusion of the season (a second-round NCAA tournament loss to Syracuse), Harden declared his eligibility for the NBA Draft.^[10] He employed Rob Pelinka as his agent.^[11]

College statistics[link]

NBA career[link]

Oklahoma City Thunder (2009–present)[link]

Harden with the Oklahoma City Thunder

Harden was drafted 3rd overall in the 2009 NBA Draft by the Oklahoma City Thunder. This made him the first player to be drafted by the franchise as the Oklahoma City Thunder. The franchise last entered the 2008 NBA Draft as the Seattle SuperSonics.

In his first NBA season, Harden saw more than 22 minutes on the court per game, averaging 9.9 points per game. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. In his second year, he played all 82 games of the regular season, averaging 12.2 points per game. In the playoffs, he averaged 13 points per game, shooting over 47% from the field.

On April 18, 2012, Harden scored a career-high 40 points in a 109–97 victory over the Phoenix Suns. He had the best season in his NBA career in 2012, averaging 16.8 points in 31.4 minutes per game, even though he played only 2 of 62 games as a starter. On April 22 against the Los Angeles Lakers, Harden suffered a concussion after being elbowed by the Lakers' Metta World Peace, who was celebrating a dunk. World Peace was ejected, and was later suspended for seven games.^[12][13] Harden returned for the first game of the playoffs against the Dallas Mavericks.^[14] Harden was named the 2012 NBA Sixth Man of the Year, becoming the second youngest player ever to do so. He led all NBA reserves with 16.8 points per game.^[15]

NBA statistics[link]

Regular season[link]

Playoffs[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Arizona State athletic site bio
• ESPN college player profile
• ESPN NBA player profile
• Sports Illustrated cover

Kevin Durant

Durant playing against the Sacramento Kings
No. 35 – Oklahoma City Thunder
Small forward
Personal information
Born	(1988-09-29) September 29, 1988 (age 23) Washington, D.C.
Nationality	American
High school	Montrose Christian School (MD) Oak Hill Academy (VA)
Listed height	6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Listed weight	235 lb (107 kg)
Career information
College	Texas
NBA Draft	2007 / Round: 1 / Pick: 2nd overall
Selected by the Seattle SuperSonics[1]
Pro career	2007–present
Career history
2007–present	Seattle SuperSonics / Oklahoma City Thunder
Career highlights and awards
NBA Rookie of the Year (2008) 3× NBA All-Star (2010–2012) NBA All Star Game MVP (2012) 3× NBA scoring champion (2010–2012) 3× All-NBA First Team (2010–2012) NBA All-Rookie First Team (2008) 2× H-O-R-S-E Competition winner (2009–2010) 2010 FIBA World Championship MVP Oscar Robertson Trophy (2007) Adolph Rupp Trophy (2007) Naismith College Player of the Year (2007) John R. Wooden Award (2007)
Stats at NBA.com

Kevin Wayne Durant (born September 29, 1988) is an American professional basketball forward with the Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A 6'9" small forward, Durant was the consensus 2007 National College Player of the Year and the 2006–2007 Big 12 Player of the Year, amongst other awards. After a standout freshman season at the University of Texas,^[2] Durant opted to enter the NBA Draft,^[3] where he was selected second overall by the Seattle SuperSonics. There he went on to win the NBA Rookie of the Year Award after his debut season. In 2007, Durant signed an endorsement contract with Nike.^[4] In the 2009–10 season Durant led the NBA in scoring and became the youngest player ever to win the NBA scoring title.^[5] He would later be named to the 2010 All NBA First Team.

High school career[link]

A basketball player from his earliest days, Durant played for a successful Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) youth basketball team, the PG Jaguars. The Jaguars won multiple national championships with Durant and fellow future blue chip recruits Michael Beasley (Timberwolves) and Chris Braswell (UNC-Charlotte). Durant wore, and continues to wear, the No.35 jersey in honor of his childhood mentor and AAU coach, Charles Craig, who was murdered at age 35.^[6] Durant later moved on to play AAU basketball with fellow McDonald's All American Ty Lawson (Denver Nuggets) for the DC 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]

College career[link]

Durant during his tenure at Texas.

A 6'9" swingman with a 7'5" wingspan,^[11] Durant was one of four freshman starters for the University of Texas basketball team. Durant started in all 35 games of the season, which culminated with a loss in the second round of the NCAA tournament to the University of Southern California. Texas finished third in the conference with a 12–4 record and was the runner-up in the 2007 Big 12 Men's Basketball Tournament.^[12]

Although he had a slender frame, Durant frequently used it to his advantage by posting up bigger players, while shooting over smaller guards.^[13] ESPN analyst Dick Vitale praised Durant as the "most prolific offensive skilled big perimeter" ever and proceeded to compare Durant's game to those of current NBA stars like Kevin Garnett and Dirk Nowitzki.^[14] After a 37-point, 23-rebound winning performance against the Texas Tech Red Raiders, head coach Bob Knight described Durant as quick, fast and mobile, and being "really good".^[15] Texas coach Rick Barnes admitted to rarely calling set plays for Durant, instead relying on Durant himself and on his teammates to find him within the flow of the offense.^[16]

Coming into the season, Durant was widely hailed by the media as the Big 12's top freshman and a top candidate to be named Freshman of the Year.^[17] He averaged 25.8 points per game and 11.1 rebounds per game during his freshman season with the Texas Longhorns. In Big 12 games he averaged 28.9 points and 12.5 rebounds per game. His college career high for scoring was 37 points, which he achieved on four occasions. Durant had thirty 20-point games his freshman year, including 37 in a losing effort against Kansas for the regular-season Big 12 title.

In March 2007, Durant was named the NABC Division I Player of the Year,^[18] and received the Oscar Robertson Trophy^[19] and the Adolph F. Rupp Trophy,^[20] becoming the first freshman to win each of these awards. On March 30, 2007, he was selected as the Associated Press college player of the year, becoming the first freshman and the first Texas athlete to receive this award since its inception in 1961.^[18][21] On April 1, 2007, he became the first freshman to receive the Naismith Award^[22] and on April 7, 2007, won the John R. Wooden Award.^[23] Less than a week after being drafted by the Seattle SuperSonics, the University of Texas announced the retirement of Durant's No.35 jersey. The number will now hang in the rafters at the Frank Erwin Center along with the No.11 of former Longhorn great T. J. Ford.^[24] Durant's jersey is now one of nine retired by the University of Texas .^[25]

College statistics[link]

NBA career[link]

Rookie season[link]

Durant at the Super Sonics practice facility.

Durant declared himself eligible for the 2007 NBA Draft on April 11, 2007 and signed his first professional contract on May 25 with the Upper Deck Company, who later heralded Durant to be the focus of their 2007–08 NBA trading card line. On June 28, 2007, Durant was taken second overall in the 2007 NBA Draft by the Seattle SuperSonics. It was expected that either he or Greg Oden, the starting center for Ohio State, were to go Number 1 in the draft. However, Oden was drafted first overall by the Portland Trail Blazers.^[2] In the proceeding month, Durant went on to sign a seven-year, $60 million endorsement deal with Nike—a rookie deal only surpassed by LeBron James' contract with Nike.^[26] In doing so, Durant reportedly turned down a potential $70 million contract with Adidas, opting for Nike since he had worn them all his life.

On October 31, 2007, Durant made his NBA debut with 18 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 steals^[27] in a loss to the Denver Nuggets.^[28] On November 16, 2007 Durant made the first game-winning shot of his NBA career with a key 3-pointer to beat the Atlanta Hawks in double overtime.^[29] Durant finished with 21 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, and 3 blocks.^[30] On November 30, 2007, Durant scored 35 points to beat the Indiana Pacers.^[31] In a game against the Denver Nuggets, he flirted with a triple double as he came up with 37 points, 8 rebounds and 9 assists. In the last game of his rookie season, Durant finally recorded his first double-double of his career with a then career-high 42 points and a career-high 13 rebounds, and also added 5 assists. In addition to leading all rookies in scoring for the season, he was named the NBA Western Conference Rookie of the Month for November,^[32][33] December^[34] (2007), January,^[35] March^[36] and April^[37] (2008).^[38] Durant's 20.3 point per game season average broke the SuperSonics' 40-year-old rookie record set by Bob Rule during the 1967–68 season. On April 30, 2008, Associated Press reported that Durant was awarded the NBA Rookie of the Year Award for the 2007–08 season.^[39]

2008–09 season[link]

Kevin Durant at the House of Hoops.

Following the 2007–08 season, the SuperSonics relocated to Oklahoma as the Oklahoma City Thunder. Although Durant was not selected to play in the 2009 NBA All-Star Game in Phoenix, he did take part in two events. On February 13, 2009, Durant led the Sophomore team to a 122–116 victory over the Rookie side at the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam. He was crowned the MVP for the game after he set the scoring record with 46 points, breaking the old mark set in 2004 when Suns F-C Amar'e Stoudemire had 36 for the sophomores. The next day, Durant came from behind to win the first ever H-O-R-S-E Competition in NBA All-Star weekend history, beating out Joe Johnson from the Atlanta Hawks and O. J. Mayo from the Memphis Grizzlies after getting four quick letters early in the game.

2009–10 season[link]

Entering the season, the team was not expected to compete for a playoff berth; however, led by Durant, they finished the regular season with 50 wins and earned the eighth seed in the Western Conference playoffs. The 27-game improvement from the previous year was the sixth biggest turnaround in NBA history. Durant won the 2010 H-O-R-S-E contest to win his second in a row. He also made his first All-Star Game appearance, and coached the rookies at the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge and Youth Jam. He became the youngest in league history to win the scoring title at 21, averaging 30.1 points per game, beating out LeBron James. Durant also set the modern record for most games in a row with at least 25 points, breaking Allen Iverson's old record.

On April 18, 2010, Durant made his playoff debut with 24 points in a 79–87 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. He scored 32 in a 95–92 loss in game 2, but responded with 29 points and 19 rebounds in a 101–96 win at Oklahoma City. He then went on to put up 22 points in the game four win against the defending champs. In game 5, Durant chipped in 17 points as his team lost, 111–87. Game 6 ended the season for the Thunder as Pau Gasol tipped the ball in for a buzzer-beating basket. The Los Angeles Lakers went on to round 2 of the playoffs as they won 95–94. Durant scored 26 points in his last game of the season. On May 2, 2010, the NBA announced that Durant finished second in the MVP voting for the 2009–2010 season, behind LeBron James. Durant joined LeBron James as the forwards on the 2010 All-NBA First Team, alongside Dwight Howard, Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade, as announced by the NBA on May 6, 2010. It was his first selection to an All-NBA team.

2010–11 season[link]

On July 7, 2010, Durant announced on his Twitter page that he signed a 5-year contract extension with the Thunder.^[40] The extension is worth about $86 million.^[41] For a second straight year, Durant led the NBA in scoring, averaging 27.7 points a game^[42] and finished 5th in MVP voting.^[43] Durant made his second All-Star appearance, and scored 34 points, helping the West defeat the East 148–143.^[44] Durant led the Thunder to 55 wins, and the number four seed in the Western Conference. The Thunder lost in the Western Conference Finals to the eventual NBA champions, the Dallas Mavericks.^[45]

2011–12 season[link]

Durant reached his career high in scoring on February 19, 2012, in a home match against the Denver Nuggets that OKC won 124–118. Durant scored 51 points, while his teammate Russell Westbrook scored 40. Durant was voted to play as a starter for the 2012 NBA All-Star Game for the second consecutive year. He scored 36 points and was awarded his first career All-Star Game MVP.^[46]. Durant scored the game-winner with 1.5 left on the game clock to beat Dallas Mavericks 99-98 during game 1 of their 2012 first round NBA playoff series.^[47]

International career[link]

Durant after receiving the gold medal at the 2010 FIBA World Championship in Turkey

In late February 2007, Durant received an invitation to the Team USA Basketball training camp, becoming the second freshman after Greg Oden to achieve this.^[48] After playing only a handful of games in the 2007 NBA Summer League, Durant was chosen to play for Team USA and participate in the State Farm USA basketball challenge, alongside NBA all-stars like Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwight Howard.^[49] Although Durant held his own in scoring 22 points for the Blue team in one game, he was ultimately dropped when the roster was trimmed to the twelve-player limit.^[50] Coach Mike Krzyzewski cited the experience of the remaining players as the deciding factor in making the cut.^[50] He was also one of the last cuts to the USA Men's Senior National Team for the 2008 Summer Olympics.

Durant was finally able to represent the USA at 2010 FIBA World Championship and turned out to be the go-to-guy since other stars were unavailable for various reasons. Before the tournament, he downplayed this notion saying "he was another guy on the team."^[51] Eventually, he led Team USA to its first FIBA World Championship since 1994 and was named MVP of the Tournament.^[52] Along the way, Durant broke several Team USA scoring records including most points in a tournament (205) and most points in a single game (38). He averaged 22.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.4 steals in nine games.

He has expressed interest in playing for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team.

Personal[link]

Durant is the son of Wanda and Wayne Pratt. He has one sister (Brianna) and two brothers (Tony and Rayvonne).^[53] His grandmother, Barbara Davis, helped to raise him.^[54] Durant and Michael Beasley grew up together having a close friendship and remain best friends.^[55] Durant is a spokesperson for the Washington D.C. branch of P'Tones Records, a nationwide non-profit after school music program.^[56]

From when he entered the draft, in 2007, Durant was represented by agent Aaron Goodwin, but on February 17, 2012, Durant announced he was splitting from Goodwin.^[57]

NBA career statistics[link]

Regular season[link]

Playoffs[link]

Awards and honors[link]

Kevin Durant dunk

• 2010 FIBA World Championship MVP^[52]
• NBA All-Star Game MVP: 2012
• NBA All-Star: 2010, 2011, 2012
• NBA Scoring Champion: 2010, 2011, 2012
• All-NBA First Team: 2010, 2011, 2012
• NBA All-Star Weekend H–O–R–S–E Competition winner: 2009, 2010
• NBA Rookie Challenge MVP: 2009
• NBA Rookie of the Year: 2008
• All-Rookie First Team: 2008

Milestones and records

• Most points in a Rookie Challenge game (46)
• Most points in an NBA All-Star Weekend (46)
• Most points in a FIBA World Championship game by Team USA (38)

Seattle SuperSonics/Oklahoma City Thunder Franchise Records

• Consecutive games scoring 30 or more points [7 (twice), from December 22, 2009 to January 2, 2010 and from April 4, 2010 to April 14]

• Broke the record of 6 set by Spencer Haywood in January 1972.

• Consecutive games scoring 25 or more points (29, from December 22, 2009 to February 23, 2010)
• Most 30+ point games in one season (48, 2009–2010)
• Most points in one season (2,472; 2009–2010)

Other achievements[link]

• 2006 Co-MVP McDonald's All-American Game – Shared award with Chase Budinger
• 2007 ESPN All-American^[61]
• 2007 ESPN Player of the Year^[61]
• 2007 NABC Division I Player of the Year^[18]
• 2007 AP Player of the Year (First freshman to achieve the honor)
• 2007 AP All-America 1st Team (unanimous)^[62]
• 2007 Oscar Robertson Trophy^[19]
• 2007 Adolph Rupp Trophy^[20]
• 2007 Naismith Award Winner (First freshman to do so)^[22]
• 2007 John R. Wooden Award All-American Team^[63]
• 2007 John R. Wooden Award Winner^[23]
• Big 12 Rookie of the Week (six times)^[64]
• Big 12 Player of the Week (four times)^[64]
• 2007 Phillips 66 Big 12 Men's Basketball Awards:^[65]
  • Player of the Year
  • Big 12 Freshman of the Year
  • All-Big 12 First Team (unanimous)
  • Big 12 All-Defensive Team
  • Big 12 All-Rookie Team (unanimous)
• 2007 AP National Player of the Year^[66]

See also[link]

• 2006 high school boys basketball All-Americans

References[link]