“It Was Stupid To Care,” Kevin Durant Opens Up About Battles With Depression

Kevin Durant got real about a rather dark phrase he was in and also about his body-image with Bobbi Althoff on NOT THIS AGAIN.

“It Was Stupid To Care,” Kevin Durant Opens Up About Battles With Depression

Kevin Durant with Bobbi Althoff on NOT THIS AGAIN (Image credits - Firstsportz)

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Two-time NBA champion and one of the greatest players of all time Kevin Durant reflected and opened up on his period of depression that was spurred by his body-image and physical appearance. Standing at 6’11” and weighing 240 pounds, Durant has often faced criticism for his body, particularly early in his career for being “too tall and too skinny”.

At the 2007 NBA Draft combine, Durant was unable to bench press 185 pounds, which led to a lot of doubts and concerns regarding his strength and durability in the long run. Some scouts believed he was too frail for the NBA especially compared to Greg Oden, who was selected before him and ended up being the number one draft pick.

Fast-forward to 2025, Durant is a two-time champion, two-time Finals MVP, 2014 League MVP, four-time scoring champion and 15x NBA All-Star cementing himself as one of the greats of the game. While talking to podcaster Bobbi Althoff on NOT THIS AGAIN, Durant highlighted about his insecurities:

I have been depressed before, like once. I was insecure about how I looked. It hit me all at one time like six years ago. I just snapped out of it because it was stupid to even care. I was just too tall and too skinny and stood out for no reason. But now I learned to accept it.

Kevin Durant and his mom celebrate Christmas together as family

Season one of the Netflix show ‘Starting 5’ became an instant hit as the show offered fans an unfiltered peak into the lives of their favorite NBA stars. In season 2, an episode set on Christmas Day, captured Kevin Durant celebrating Christmas with his mom Wanda as a family, making sure family is around Durant during the celebrations.

Wanda has always been an integral part of Durant’s life and the star has credited her for making sacrifices and raising him and his brother as a single mother. She is often seen attending his games and is frequently seen as a positive influence in his life.

The two share a very close and unwavering bond as Durant had called her “The Real MVP” when he won the 2014 league MVP and recently evidenced in Starting 5 season two.a

Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun are establishing themselves as one of the most formidable offenses in the NBA

Nine games into the season and Houston Rockets find themselves with six wins so far. While they finished second in the west last season, a first round exit against the Golden State Warriors exposed a young and inexperienced team. Adding the likes of a veteran like Kevin Durant to their ranks gives them a significant push as they look to win their first championship since 1995.

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Kevin Durant in Houston Rockets (Image credit – Houston Rockets/X)

Pairing with franchise center Alperen Sengun, who is potentially having the best season of his young career, the duo are establishing themselves as one of the best offenses in the NBA. Sengun has started to draw double teams, leaving Durant open. The Turkish center can do a little bit of everything, quite similar to Nikola Jokic.

With starting point-guard Fred Van Vleet ruled out for the season with an ACL tear, a lot of the responsibilities fall on the shoulders of Durant and Sengun. While Sengun has made significant improvements in defense, it is his offensive skillset that has amazed Durant.

Durant currently averages 24.8 points per game, which is his lowest average since his rookie season while also averaging only 16.3 shots per game, which is his fewest since the 2016-17 season – his first season with the Warriors.

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