Adam Silver has a lot of tricks in his bag and the NBA world has witnessed it repeatedly. In the last season, the commissioner introduced the NBA Cup, which is an In-Season Tournament played within the regular season. Before that, he introduced the Play-in Tournament, which gave the 9th and 10th seeding teams an opportunity at the playoffs. Following that, the 62-year-old has come up with yet another bold initiative, which is the On-Campus games.
Even though this initiative has been a success story in the last few seasons, it got the public attention because of one man. It’s none other than Kevin Durant. The NBA world is all geared up to witness a wholesome event in the upcoming season where KD will return to his alma mater after 16 years.
The Slim Reaper has played a lone season with the University of Texas, donning the Texas Longhorns jersey before entering the NBA. Even though it’s a single season, the superstar has left a lasting mark on the college’s hardwood. The power forward played 35 games averaging 25.8 points and 11.1 rebounds per game. Along with the impressive stat line, KD also collected several notable honors just with his single-season appearance.
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Kevin Durant and his legendary college career and its lead-up to the On-Campus game
Polls of the day Poll 1 of 4 Do you think Adam Silver’s NBA on Campus initiative is a game-changer for college basketball? Absolutely Not really It’s too early to tell No, it’s a waste of time Have an interesting take? Join Debate Do you think George Karl’s decision to trade his best player was justified? Absolutely not Maybe Yes, it was strategic I need more context Have an interesting take? Join Debate Do you think Bronny James deserves a higher NBA 2K rating? Absolutely Not yet Maybe in a few years No way Have an interesting take? Join Debate Do you agree with Richard Jefferson that Mark Jackson’s exit is a disservice to the NBA? Absolutely Not at all Somewhat No opinion Have an interesting take? Join Debate
Before donning the Seattle Sonics jersey, Kevin Durant had created massive waves in the NBA world. Much like the hype that LeBron James carried ahead of the 2003 rookie season. The tall and skinny kid from the University of Texas had a lot of honors in his bag.
KD’s college achievements
HS Parade AA 2006 -07 AP POY Consensus AA Wooden Award Naismith Award Rupp Trophy 2006-07 Big 12 POY Big 12 All-Defensive Team 2006-07 All-Big 12 First Team 2006-07 Big 12 ROY 2006-07 All-Rookie Team Big 12 Tourney MVP
Kevin Durant became the first freshman to win a Naismith Award. Following him, three others have won it, namely, Anthony Davis, Zion Williamson, and Paige Bueckers. Apart from all this, the Longhorns retired KD’s jersey No. 35 for the commendable achievements he racked up in a one-season stint.
Spurs vs Suns – On-Campus game
Ironically, the upcoming On-Campus match-up in Austin wouldn’t be a home game for Durant. The latest NBA schedule for the 2024-25 season stated that the Phoenix Suns will visit Texas to take the San Antonio Spurs at the Moody Center. Even though the majority of fans would root for Victor Wembanyama & Co., many Longhorns are expected to don the #35 jersey to show their support for KD’s homecoming.
On the other hand, Durant hasn’t played a single game in Moody Center yet. During his 2006-07 college season, the superstar played all his home games in Frank Erwin Center, which was the Longhorns’s home court for the longest time until Moody Center was erected in April 2022. Meanwhile, Durant is still part of his college as they named the men’s basketball facility and the main entrance to the Denton A. Cooley Pavilion after Durant.
USA Today via Reuters May 1, 2023; Denver, Colorado, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) reacts in the second half against the Denver Nuggets during game two of the 2023 NBA playoffs at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Following the game against the Suns, the Moody Center will host another game between the Detroit Pistons and Spurs. And importantly, the Spurs have played at the Longhorns’ home court two times each in the last two seasons.
Speaking of the team’s experience, playing at the Moody Center, Brandon James, VP of Spurs’ Strategic Growth said, “We’re thrilled by the response we’ve enjoyed in Austin the last two seasons. We had high hopes when we decided to play regular season games in Austin and the results have far surpassed our expectations … We’re excited to continue to connect with our fans in Austin and across our region in meaningful ways during the 2024-25 season and into the future.”
What does the NBA’s future look like?
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This on-campus initiative would bring the NBA closer to collegiate basketball and also would entertain the fans in different settings. If the experiment with Kevin Durant’s homecoming turns into a huge success, in terms of viewership, then we could see more of it in the future. Maybe even LeBron James‘ homecoming game. Moreover, it’s not just with Moody Center, the league has played a few campus games in the past. But it’s definitely a rare occasion. Notably, the Orlando Magic took on the New Orleans Pelicans in a pre-season game at Syracuse University.
On one hand, Adam Silver has constantly moved the needle to widen the NBA boundaries across the ocean. Recently, during the Paris Olympics, he spoke about expanding the league to European fans. A recent report revealed that Europe has 270 million fans and an estimated media market value of $20 billion. So, we could most probably witness European teams taking on the NBA teams.
On the other hand, Silver has tried his luck at the domestic market at the collegiate level. It may even open the doors for further expansion. What do you make of the NBA’s future? Let us know in the comments below.
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Before leaving, do watch the Dual Threat Show hosted by BG12 where Bulldogs’ Asia Avinger details her experience with Kobe Bryant, her WNBA ROTY picks, and more in the video below.