On Friday, Kevin Durant and his Oklahoma City Thunder teammates Russell Westbrook, Jeff Green and James Harden joined him at Harlem’s House of Hoops for the release of Durant’s second signature shoe; the Nike
Kevin Durant 2 (KD2). They spoke to kids from the Brooklyn Developmental League (BDL) about hoops and the importance of training.
Off course KicksOnFire was there to bring you complete coverage. Smooth was the MC and Hot 97’s Peter Rosenberg was on the 1s and 2s as the place jumped with excitement. While waiting, it seemed to be Lil Wayne and Drake hour as everyone jammed to their latest hits. Before Durant and his teammates showed up, Smooth asked “What did you think of the dunk contest?” and “What do you think of T-Mac coming to NY?” Everyone booed loudly. He also asked the crowd what we wanted to ask Kevin Durant
…
Soon after, Kevin Durant and his teammates walked in and were pleasantly greeted by the kids who cheered loudly. To see Durant in person is absolutely shocking because he is really a GIANT yet very soft spoken and humble. After a few questions regarding KD’s current streak of at least 25 points in 26 straight games which puts him in the company of Jordan and Iverson and the meaning of Broingtons (nickname for the Durant and his teammate hanging out), Durant raffled off a signed pair of KD 2s (pictured below). There were also t-shirts and KD hats behind passed around to the crowd.
The best part of the evening was when the kids actually got to interact with the players. There were several NBA Live 2010 stations set up where the kids were able to play Durant and Harden. They walked around House of Hoops chattering with everyone without the following of huge heavy bodyguards. It seemed pretty evident that the four teammates spend a lot of time with each other (Broingtons) on and off the court.
I personally got a chance to speak with Kevin Durant for a minute or two and ask him a few questions about his new shoe. We did a video interview with him but unfortunately, the background music was so loud that the audio is pretty bad. If you still want to check it out and squint your eyes while you try to hear, here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tI0UUSo3Pqo
For others, here is what we asked:
KOF: Tell us a little more about the progress of the KD2 and what we can expect from the line in the future…
Kevin Durant explained how their main goal is to develop a better shoe each year than the last. He stated that he basically wants the shoe to be technologically and aesthetically better each release.
KOF: How involved are you in the design process?
He explained how he is extremely involved and could basically design the entire shoe if he chose to. But he leaves it up to the guys over at Nike to develop the shoe but still adds his input. He decides if he wants a strap or what kind of materials he feels more comfortable with.
KOF: Where does he get the inspiration behind the design of the shoe?
He explains how the guys at Nike ask him questions such as “What’s you favorite car?”, “What’s your favorite movie?” and the guys at Nike use his answers and incorporate it into the shoe. Via. KicksOnFire.com
Check out the pictures below!
