Basketball expert Kevin Durant was named NBA Finals Most Valuable Player in 2014 and 2017, but he believes his mother Wanda Durant is the “real MVP.”

When Kevin was a baby and Anthony was a toddler, their father abandoned the family, leaving Wanda as a single mother at the age of 21.

“The deck was stacked against us. “By the time you were 21, you were a single parent with two boys,” Kevin remarked during his 2014 MVP award speech. “We weren’t meant to be here. You persuaded us. You kept us off the streets, gave us clothes, and placed food on the table. You made sure we ate when you didn’t. You fell asleep hungry. You made a sacrifice for us. You are the true MVP.”

Wanda believes that displaying patience and hard work in the face of great hurdles influenced her sons to strive for their own goals. “I continued to give them my love, my time, my presence and being as engaged as I possibly could,” she said in an interview with NBA.com. “After looking over my life, I realized that having hope and not quitting gave my sons the opportunity to live out their dreams and do the same.”

She is Kevin’s biggest supporter both on and off the court, and she is also a motivational speaker and philanthropist striving to give those in impoverished regions a chance to thrive.

But who exactly is Wanda Durant? Continue reading to discover about her inspiring life, generosity, and the essential job she conducts now.

She works as a motivational speaker

Wanda believes that “where there is hope, there is possibility,” as stated on her website, MamaDurant.com. In her biography, she writes, “Her passion is to inspire underserved children, single mothers and communities to move beyond their immediate circumstances and to aim for higher heights in life.”

She works with the Durant Family Foundation

The organization works to aid poor children all around the world, with the mission statement “to enrich the lives of at-risk youth from low-income backgrounds through educational, athletic, and social programs.”

However, some of the organization’s work is particularly relevant to the Durants. In 2022, the foundation will grant $500,000 to renovate the basketball courts at Bowie State University in Prince George’s County, Maryland, near where Kevin grew up.

On and off the court, she is Kevin’s strongest supporter

Mama Durant, as she is affectionately called, frequently expresses her support for her son on television and in interviews.

“I’m Kevin’s biggest fan,” she said in 2022 to Essence. “He’ll always be Kevin, and that’s it.” I understand the situation he’s in, and as a professional athlete, you’re bound to have some fans and some detractors. It doesn’t matter since I’m still his mother. It makes no difference what other people think. I like him.”

Throughout Kevin’s injuries, she has been the voice of thanks to his admirers

Durant fought with a slew of injuries during the 2018-2019 season, returning from a calf injury only to tear his Achilles tendon in Game 5 of the NBA Finals. “To the fans all over the world who have sent us their prayers, who have contacted me over my social media, sent general responses, I’m just so grateful and our family is thankful,” Wanda said in an interview with Good Morning America. “And so for that, we have complete gratitude.”