Kevin Durant Celebrates Texas’ Comeback Win Over No.1 Ohio State With Arch Manning

Kevin Durant was in attendance for one of the biggest Texas football games of the season against Ohio State.

Kevin Durant Celebrates Texas’ Comeback Win Over No.1 Ohio State With Arch Manning

Kevin Durant (Image credits - Bleacher Report)

Kevin Durant is one of the greatest pure scorers the game of basketball has ever seen. Drafted by the Seattle SuperSonics/Oklahoma City Thunder as the second pick in the 2007 NBA draft, Durant is one of the most accomplished players in NBA history.

Popularly known as ‘The Slim Reaper’, he was drafted from Texas, where he played college basketball for the Texas Longhorns. It was an unusual choice: he chose a lesser-known program after considering schools like Duke and Louisville, but he wanted to forge his own path.

He was honored with several awards during his stint in Texas. He spent just one year in college before declaring for the NBA draft. The Longhorns later retired his No. 35 jersey.

Durant was present to see his alma mater take down Ohio State on Saturday in Austin. After their comeback victory, Durant was seen celebrating the win and had a quick interaction with Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning.

It was a historic win for Texas as they mounted a 20-point comeback over No. 1 Ohio State. They came back from 23-3 down in the fourth quarter and won 24-23.  

Along with Durant, several other popular figures and celebrities were in attendance for the big game. Hollywood star Matthew McConaughey, who is a Longhorn superfan, was also seen at the game. He also brought his friend and “True Detective” co-star Woody Harrelson. Both stars were seen on Friday at the US Open semifinals between Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe.  

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Kevin Durant was testing his quarterback arm at Texas vs. Ohio State clash

Durant is currently enjoying his offseason after an early end to his 2025-26 campaign. After playing for various teams over the last few years, Durant returned to Texas to play for the Houston Rockets in the summer last year. It was a seven-team trade, which is the largest in NBA history.

Kevin Durant
Kevin Durant (Image credits – ESPN)

Prior to the game, the forward was seen showing off his quarterback skills on the sidelines. His throws drew plenty of attention from fans around who were cheering for him.

It is well known that Durant is an avid fan of the sport. A few years ago, an NFL Insider even included Durant in his Olympic Flag Football Dream Team and believed that he could swiftly adapt to the sport and its intricacies.

It was the perfect night for everyone from and supporting the Longhorns. They have not won the championship in 21 years. However, with Manning on their team, they will be hopeful of ending their title drought very soon.

Kevin Durant was seen practicing at the gym of the University of Texas

Kevin Durant may have spent just one year in Texas, but he is still a beloved figure because of the legendary year he had. He was the unanimous national Player of the Year for his incredible performances. He averaged 25.8 points and 11.8 rebounds in 35 appearances for the Longhorns. Unfortunately, he and his team were beaten in the second round that year.

With a little over a month to go before the new NBA season, the two-time NBA champion was seen practicing at the facility and met up with some of the Longhorns staff.

The expectations were very high after Durant was traded to the Rockets last year. After finishing second in the West in the 2024-25 campaign, the Rockets were beaten by the Golden State Warriors in the first round of the playoffs. However, they took the Warriors to seven games. So adding a player like Durant had many rating them as contenders last season.

Unfortunately, the Rockets were not at their best despite Durant’s impressive numbers. He averaged 26 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4.8 assists in 78 appearances last season. But he could make just one appearance during the playoffs this year as he struggled with some knee issues.

The Rockets’ campaign came to a disappointing end after they were beaten by the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round. With Durant heading into his 18th season, his championship window gets smaller with every passing year.

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