One of the NBA’s most accomplished players, Kevin Durant, recently revealed a deeply personal side of himself that fans rarely see. In an emotional sit-down with podcaster Bobbi Althoff, Durant shared that even at the height of his success, he has battled insecurities about his appearance that once left him “stressed” and “depressed,” Free Press Journal reports.
“Sometimes. I’ve been stressed, depressed six years ago like once,” Durant told Althoff. When pressed about what triggered those feelings, he didn’t hesitate, per Fadeaway World. “Just like I was insecure about how I looked. It was crazy.”
Durant explained that those insecurities began in his early twenties and stemmed from how he viewed his body. Growing up, his height and thin frame made him stand out in ways he didn’t always enjoy. “I feel insecure about how I look every day,” he admitted. “It just hit me all at one time.”
By age twelve, he already stood six feet tall, towering over his peers. “I was just too tall, I was too skinny,” Durant said. “I just felt like I stood out for no reason.” Over time, he learned to make peace with his reflection, saying that acceptance was the key to moving forward. “Nothing is wrong with how you look,” he reflected. “That’s how I got out of it.”
Finding Peace With Self and Perspective on Relationships
Durant’s candid remarks come as part of a wider conversation about identity, success, and vulnerability. While his peers LeBron James and Stephen Curry have settled into family life, Durant has taken a different path. During the interview, Althoff asked whether he would ever consider marriage. Durant admitted he remains hesitant, not because of money or fear of divorce, but because of the challenge of lifelong compatibility.
“I’m not really concerned about that anyway,” he said. “If it’s somebody I f*** with and then we end up walking away from each other, hopefully it ain’t as bad. I want to take care of you anyway and make sure you straight, set you off well, but not be taken advantage of.”
When asked if he could imagine staying with one woman forever, Durant gave an honest answer: “That’s not ever gonna happen. I never seen that.”
He added that while he respects marriage as an institution, it’s the daily reality that gives him pause. “It’s more so like what that relationship is like,” he explained. “Do I want to be with somebody every day? Hang with the same person every day… without the option to do my own thing?”
Freedom for Durant
To Durant, it isn’t about rejection of love, but about freedom. He noted that he could change his stance someday but hasn’t found the person who makes him want to commit to that level of permanence.
Durant was once engaged to former WNBA player Monica Wright in 2013 before they ended things a year later. Since then, his focus has remained on basketball and personal growth. Despite the self-doubt he once carried, he appears to have found balance both mentally and professionally.
Now with the Houston Rockets, Durant continues to play at an elite level, averaging 27.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.0 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game this season. He and the Rockets are set to face the Boston Celtics on Saturday at TD Garden, where Durant will again look to show that confidence, on and off the court, is a journey.
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