Gatorade is a brand of sports-themed food and beverage products, built around its signature product: a line of sports drinks. Gatorade is currently manufactured by PepsiCo and distributed in over 80 countries.^[3] The beverage was first developed in 1965 by researchers at the University of Florida, to replenish the combination of water, carbohydrates, and electrolytes that the school's student-athletes lost (in sweat) during rigorous athletic competitions. Its name was derived from the collective nickname of the university's athletic teams, "the Gators".

Originally produced and marketed by Stokely-Van Camp, the Gatorade brand was purchased by the Quaker Oats Company in 1983, which itself was bought by PepsiCo in 2001. As of 2010, Gatorade is PepsiCo’s 4th-largest brand, on the basis of worldwide annual retail sales.^[4] It primarily competes with Coca-Cola's Powerade and Vitaminwater brands worldwide; plus, Lucozade Sport in the United Kingdom. Within the United States, Gatorade accounts for approximately 75 percent market share in the sports drink category.^[5]

History[link]

The first iteration of Gatorade was invented in 1965 by a team of researchers at the University of Florida, including Robert Cade, Dana Shires, Harry James Free, and Alejandro de Quesada.^[6] It was designed, following a request from Gators football assistant coach Ray Graves, to aid athletes by acting as a hydrating replacement for body fluids lost during physical exertion in hot weather. The earliest versions of the beverage consisted of a mixture of water, sodium, sugar, potassium, phosphate and lemon juice.^[7] Ten players on the University of Florida football team tested the first version of Gatorade during practices and games in 1965, and the tests were deemed successful. The football team credited Gatorade as having contributed to their first Orange Bowl win over the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in 1967, at which point the drink gained traction within the athletic community. Yellow Jackets coach Bud Carson, when asked why his team lost, replied: "We didn’t have Gatorade. That made the difference."^[8]

Shortly after the 1967 Orange Bowl, Robert Cade entered into an agreement providing Stokely-Van Camp, Inc. (S-VC), a canned-food packing company, with the U.S. rights to production and sale of Gatorade as a commercial product.^[7] In the same year, a licensing arrangement made Gatorade the official sports drink of the National Football League, representing the first in a history of professional sports sponsorship for the Gatorade brand. A year after its commercial introduction, S-VC tested multiple variations of the original Gatorade recipe, finally settling on more palatable variants in lemon-lime and orange flavors. This reformulation also removed the sweetener cyclamate-which was banned by the FDA in 1969-replacing it with additional fructose.^[9] In the early 1970s, legal questions arose regarding whether or not the researchers who invented Gatorade were entitled to ownership of its rights, since they were working under a federal government grant that provided stipends at the time.^[7] The University of Florida also claimed partial rights ownership, which was brought to resolution in 1973 in the form of a settlement awarding the university with a 20 percent share of Gatorade royalties, totaling $100 million as of 2004.^[10]

The Quaker Oats Company purchased S-VC and Gatorade in 1983 for a sum of $220 million, following a bidding war with rival Pillsbury. In its first two decades of production, Gatorade was primarily sold and distributed within the United States. Beginning in the 1980s, then-parent Quaker Oats Company began to work at expanding distribution of Gatorade beyond the United States, venturing into Canada in 1984, regions of Asia in 1987, South America and parts of Europe in 1988, and Australia in 1993. International expansion came at the cost of $20 million in 1996 alone; however the resulting efforts produced worldwide sales of $283 million in more than 45 nations during the same year.^[11] In 1997, distribution of Gatorade in an additional 10 countries prompted an 18.7 percent growth in annual sales.^[12]

In 2001, the multinational food and beverage company PepsiCo acquired Gatorade's parent company, the Quaker Oats Company, for $13 billion in order to add Gatorade to its portfolio of food and beverage brands. PepsiCo had also recently developed All Sport, which it divested of shortly following the Quaker acquisition to satisfy antitrust regulations. Worldwide development of Gatorade continued into the 2000s, including expansion into India in 2004 and the U.K. and Ireland in 2008.^[12] As of 2010, Gatorade products were made available for sale in more than 80 countries.^[3] As the number one sports drink by annual retail sales in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Italy, Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, Indonesia and the Philippines, Gatorade is also among the leading sports drink brands in Korea and Australia.^[13]

As distribution of Gatorade expanded outside of the U.S., localized flavors were introduced to conform to regional tastes and cultural preferences, among other factors. For example, Blueberry is available in Colombia, and in Brazil a Pineapple flavor of Gatorade is sold. Rainbow has been a flavor sold in Russia, and in Australia, flavors include Antarctic Freeze and Wild Water Rush. Some flavors that have been discontinued in the U.S., such as Alpine Snow and Starfruit, have since been made available in other countries.^[12]

In 2011 Gatorade was reintroduced to New Zealand by Bluebird Foods, a Pepsico subsidiary in New Zealand. The product is made in Australia by Schweppes Australia and imported to New Zealand and distributed along with Bluebird potato chips.

Products[link]

Lemon-lime Gatorade in a glass bottle, circa 1970s

In its early years, the Gatorade brand consisted of a single product line — Gatorade Thirst Quencher — which was produced in liquid and powder form under two flavor variants: lemon-lime and orange.^[14] These remained as the only two flavor options for nearly 20 years, until the addition of the fruit punch flavor in 1983.^[15] In 1988 a Citrus Cooler flavor was introduced. The rise to popularity of this flavor was largely result of Michael Jordan, who — at the height of his NBA career in the early 1990s — stated that it was his favorite flavor. This claim appeared on the packaging beginning in 1991, as part of a 10-year endorsement deal.^[16][17] The Citrus Cooler flavor was reportedly discontinued at some point in the 1990s;^[18] however as of 2011 it is listed as being a current product in the U.S.^[19]

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, as well as the late 90s to early 2000s, a Gatorade brand of chewing gum called Gator Gum was produced. The product, manufactured by Fleer Corporation, was available in both of Gatorade's original flavors (lemon-lime and orange). In the late 1970s, Stokely-Van Camp (owner of Gatorade before 1983) negotiated a long-term licensing deal with Swell and Vicks to market Gator Gum. The gum was discontinued in 1989 after the contract expired.^[11][12]

It was not until the mid and late 1990s that Gatorade beverages became available in a broader range of flavor variations. Among these initial flavor extensions were Watermelon, introduced in 1995, and Cherry Rush, Strawberry Kiwi, and Mandarina flavors, added in 1996.^{[11][12]:171[20]} In January 1997 Gatorade launched a new sub-line called Gatorade Frost with the intent of broadening the brand's appeal beyond traditional team competitive sports. Three initial flavors under the Frost product line were introduced at this time: Alpine Snow, Glacier Freeze, and Whitewater Splash.^[21] Aimed at what the company described as the 'active thirst' category — a market 10 times the size of the sports drink segment — Gatorade Frost proved to be successful, far surpassing the company's initial expectations. Flavors in the Frost line were the first from Gatorade to divert from fruit names; it was described as consisting of 'light-tasting fruit-flavor blends.'^[11]

Gatorade revealed the Gatorade Energy Bar in 2001. This bar was Gatorade's first foray into solid foods and was introduced to compete with PowerBar and Clif Bar. Gatorade Energy Bars contained a large proportion of protein, in addition to carbohydrates. The bar was primarily made up of puffed grains and corn syrup, common components of other energy bars.^[12] In 2001, Gatorade introduced the Gatorade Performance Series, a special line of sports nutrition products. These products include Gatorade Carbohydrate Energy Drink, Gatorade Protein Recovery Shake, the Gatorade Nutrition Shake, and the Gatorade Nutrition Bar. The Endurance Formula, introduced in 2004, contained twice the sodium and three times the potassium of the typical Gatorade formula as well as chloride, magnesium and calcium, to better replace what athletes lose while training and competing.^[22]

Introduced as Gatorade Ice in 2002, this flavor was re-labeled as Gatorade Rain in 2006 and No Excuses in 2009.

Introduced in 2002, Gatorade Ice was marketed as a lighter flavored Gatorade and came in Strawberry, Lime, Orange, and Watermelon. All of these flavors were colorless and transparent. Ice was re-branded in 2006 as Gatorade Rain and the flavor selections altered. In late 2007, a low-calorie line of Gatorade drinks, named G2, was released.^[23] Still in production As of 2011^[update], G2 has been produced in eight flavors: Orange, Fruit Punch, Grape, Lemon-Lime, Strawberry Kiwi, Blueberry-Pomegranate, Raspberry Melon, and Glacier Freeze.^[24] SymphonyIRI Group named G2 the "top new food product of 2008," noting that the product generated retail sales of $159.1 million in its first full year of production.^[25]

Gatorade Tiger was a Gatorade Thirst Quencher sports drink formed as the result of a sponsorship arrangement with Tiger Woods. Debuting in March 2008, Gatorade Tiger was available in Red Drive (cherry), Cool Fusion (lemon-lime), and Quiet Storm (grape). Gatorade Tiger contained 25 percent more electrolytes than Gatorade Thirst Quencher.^[26] As part of the 2009 rebranding, Gatorade Tiger was re-labeled as Focus. It was reformulated, adding the amino acid theanine which is naturally found in many forms of tea, improving mental focus. Focus contained about 25 mg per 8 US fluid ounces (240 ml) serving or 50 mg per 16.9 US fluid ounces (500 ml) bottle. On 25 November 2009, it was reported by Beverage Digest, and later confirmed by PepsiCo, that they had made a decision, several months before November 2009, to discontinue some products to make room for the Prime and Recover products as part of a then-upcoming G Series re-branding.^[27]

Re-branding[link]

Between 2008 and 2010, Gatorade re-branded a number of its products.^[28] Original Gatorade was initially re-labeled as Gatorade G. Gatorade Rain was re-labeled as No Excuses. Gatorade AM was re-labeled Shine On; Gatorade X-Factor was relabeled as Be Tough; and Gatorade Fierce was relabeled Bring It. However these names were short-lived, as a two percent decline in market share in 2009 led to a broader repositioning of the entire line in 2010.^[29][30] Beginning in February 2010, the Gatorade product portfolio was re-positioned around what the company refers to as the G Series,^[31] categorizing varieties of its products into three main segments: before, during, and after athletic events.^[31]

• The Prime 01 product line consists of a pre-game fuel in a gel consistency, positioned for consumption prior to athletic activity.^[3]
• Traditional Gatorade products such as Gatorade Thirst Quencher (Original Gatorade), G2, and Gatorade Powder are categorized under the Perform 02 classification, representing their intention for consumption during periods of physical exertion.^[31]
• Recover 03 refers to a post-workout protein and carbohydrate drink, formulated with the consistency of a sports drink. The composition of this beverage reflects its intention to provide both hydration and muscle recovery after exercise.^[3]

G Series Pro, a brand extension initially developed for professional athletes, began to be sold in Home Depot and Dick's Sporting Goods stores in the U.S. in 2010 after first being available only in professional locker rooms and specialized training facilities.^[32] Also in 2010, Gatorade introduced the G Natural Gatorade line which is made with "natural flavors and ingredients," specifically sweetened with Stevia and sold in Whole Foods grocery stores within the United States. G Natural was released in two flavors: G Orange Citrus and G2 Berry.^[33] The G Series began to replace prior iterations of Gatorade product lines in the U.S. (the brand's highest volume market) in 2010,^[34] and Canada in 2011.^[35] While Gatorade products have historically been developed for athletes engaging in competitive sporting events, a separate line of products formulated for consumption before, during and after personal fitness exercise was introduced in the U.S. in 2011.^[36] Labeled under the name G Series FIT, this product line consists of pre-workout fruit-and-nut bites, lightly flavored electrolyte replacement drinks, as well as post-workout protein recovery smoothies.^[37][38]

Composition[link]

The original Gatorade is based on oral rehydration therapy, a mixture of salt, sugar, and water, with the citrus-based flavoring and food coloring added. The composition of individual Gatorade products varies depending upon the product in question, as well as the country in which it is sold. Gatorade Thirst Quencher contains water, sucrose (table sugar), dextrose, citric acid, natural flavor, sodium chloride (table salt), sodium citrate, monopotassium phosphate, and flavoring/coloring ingredients; some Gatorade flavor variations use brominated vegetable oil as a stabilizer.^[39] An 8 US fluid ounces (240 ml) serving of Gatorade Perform 02 (Gatorade Thirst Quencher) contains 50 calories, 14 grams of carbohydrates, 110 mg sodium and 30 mg potassium.^[40]

In regards to sweeteners, Gatorade Thirst Quencher is produced using a sucrose-dextrose mix. For a period of time in the 1990s and early 2000s, high fructose corn syrup was used to sweeten Gatorade distributed in North America. As of 2011, the drink is sweetened with a sucrose-dextrose combination, which the company describes as being "preferred by consumers." G2 and G2 Natural, labeled as being "lower calorie" variants, are sweetened in part with PureVia, an extract of the Stevia plant.^[41]

The presence of calories, sugar and sodium in Gatorade products has drawn attention from public school constituents, who have raised question over whether the sale of Gatorade beverages should be permitted in such schools. In 2010, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger sponsored a bill (SB 1295) which proposed a ban on the sale of sports drinks in California schools.

Research and development[link]

The work of the Gatorade Sports Science Institute,^[42] located in Barrington, Illinois, is often featured in the company's commercials.

The Gatorade Sports Science Institute (GSSI) is a research facility operated in Barrington, Illinois that has been featured in a number of the company's commercials.^[42] Established in 1985,^[3] this organization consists of scientists studying the correlation and effects of exercise, environmental variables, and nutrition on the human body. It regularly conducts testing and research on how hydration and nutrition affect athletic performance.^[42] Professional athletes such as Eli Manning^[43] as well as collegiate and amateur athletes have been involved in fitness testing programs at the GSSI, which in part have led to innovations in new Gatorade formula variations and product lines.^[44]

In 2001, the GSSI observed that professional race car drivers were not maintaining adequate levels of hydration during races, attributable to the nature of drivers enduring multiple-hour races in high temperatures. As a result, it developed a product called the "Gatorade In-Car Drinking System," which has since been implemented in the vehicles of many professional race car drivers.^[45]

Advertising and publicity[link]

Gatorade is the official sports drink of NASCAR, the NFL, MLB, NBA, WNBA, USA Basketball, NHL, Association of Volleyball Professionals, US Soccer Federation, Major League Soccer, and other professional and collegiate athletic organizations,^[3] providing supplies of the drinks to sponsored teams in some cases. Distribution was extended to include the U.K. in 2008, coinciding with an agreement designating Gatorade as the official sports drink of the Chelsea F.C.^[46][47] Gatorade's 1991 "Be Like Mike" ads featured Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls, a North American basketball team which had just won its first National Basketball Association championship at the time. The ads began airing in August 1991 and the phrase "Be Like Mike" became household lingo in America.^[48] In more recent years, the Gatorade brand has continued to employ professional sports athletes in the promotion of its products. Primary endorsers in the 2000s have included Major League Baseball player Derek Jeter, National Hockey League player Sidney Crosby, National Basketball Association player Dwyane Wade, PGA Tour golfer Tiger Woods, and National Football League quarterback Peyton Manning.^[49]

In popular culture[link]

Gatorade has been the subject of substantial media attention and reference in popular culture situations, most of which are in relation to team or individual athletic sports. The most notable and ongoing presence of Gatorade in popular culture is the Gatorade shower, originally called the "Gatorade Dunk," where players from a victorious team pick up the Gatorade cooler, sneak up behind the head coach, and pour the contents of the cooler (generally Gatorade and ice) over his head at the end of an American football game. This tradition was popularized in the mid-1980s when Harry Carson and Jim Burt, of the New York Giants, doused head coach Bill Parcells during the 1985 season. Burt's teammates picked up on this practice and popularized it during the team's championship season of 1986–87. The tradition has since become a recurring tradition across other team sports.^[50]

Gatorade has also achieved status as the cliché representative for sports drinks in American media, for example, in the film Clerks, the character Dante is at one point forced to give free Gatorade to his hockey teammates, and in the film The Waterboy Adam Sandler is told that "the water sucks" and that Gatorade is superior.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Gatorade.com
• Gatorade Sports Science Institute
• Gatorade page on PepsiCo International UK & Ireland

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]