UPDATE: The KD III road colorway is available in the Nike Store NOW!

KD was back last night after missing two games due to a mild ankle injury. In his return he not only dropped 28 points on the T-Wolves, but also debuted his new Nike Zoom KD III shoes. Here’s a first look at the shoes (road colorway). More news and information on release dates and colorways coming very soon.

KD will grace his 3rd Sports Illustrated cover of his career with the release of Sports Illustrated’s 2010-11 NBA Preview. KD is on the cover with teammates Nenad Kristic and Thabo Sefolosha.

There was some controversy around why two “role players” on the Thunder would be on the cover with a “Superstar” like Kevin Durant. Well, KD only wanted to be on the cover of the magazine if Nenad and Thabo were on the cover with him. Both players start for the Thunder, but don’t get much media coverage. KD felt it was time for his fellow starters to get some time in the spotlight. Here’s what Kevin told Fanhouse.com about the cover:

“People don’t really know about them too much for some odd reason,” said Durant, who didn’t play against the Nuggets due to Thunder coach Scott Brooks giving him his first game off this preseason. “So it was good to have them in there with me … People don’t really talk about them too much, but they’re playing a role. They’re guys we have to have on this team. So I want everybody to know how much they’re important to us and what great teammates they are. So it was the chance to voice my opinion, and I’m glad Sports Illustrated put them on the cover with me.”

The leadership and team first mentality of Kevin Durant is going to take this Thunder team places. Not too many All-NBA First Team players would take a stance to make sure that lesser known teammates are recognized with them. Please don’t change, KD.

Anyhow, here’s the release from SI on the Thunder’s NBA Preview cover story:

Kevin Durant graces the cover of this week’s issue—along with Oklahoma City Thunder teammates Thabo Sefolosha and Nenad Krstic—with the billing Thunderball: Kevin Durant & Co. are Growing Up Fast. It is the third time Durant has taken top billing on the cover following appearances on the Oct. 27, 2008 (regional), and Feb. 19, 2007, issues.

Senior writer Lee Jenkins (@si_leejenkins) learned why Oklahoma City residents have been so quick to embrace the Thunder: They view the team as one of the most prominent examples of how the city has redefined itself following the April 19, 1995, bombings that killed 168 people (page 66): “The Ford Center is only a mile from the [Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum], but it is more closely connected than that. In the years following the bombing the political landscape in Oklahoma City underwent a radical shift. A traditionally conservative constituency voted for every tax initiative put on the ballot. It didn’t matter whether the initiative was for parks or sidewalks or an arena,Oklahoma City always voted to tax itself. ‘Every time,’ says Mayor Mick Cornett. ‘It was unprecedented.’ In March 2008, with the Sonics’ move hanging on the outcome, 62% of voters passed an initiative to extend a 1% sales tax that would pay for a $100 million renovation of the Ford Center and a $21 million practice facility. A month later they had their team, a chance to tell the nation they were back, in full throat.”

Since Durant’s arrival the Thunder has become one of the tightest-knit organizations in the league. The whole team—players and front office—runs hills together twice a week every September, and the players go to Wing Stop and playing video games at each other’s houses after every practice. Jenkins continues: “They are the organic superteam, farm to table, with 24 appearances coming up on national television, after being scheduled for only three the past two years combined. Durant was MVP of the world championships and is the emerging MVP of the NBA, but when he walks into the Thunder practice facility, you’d swear he is still 3–29 [the team’s record through the first 32 games of their inaugural season in Oklahoma City]. He has come to view that mark as a badge more than a blemish, and should he win his championship, the experience will surely be more intense because he had to suffer for it. Durant is interested not in being pitted as a counterpoint to the Heat, or to his peers, only in playing ball and running hills and eating wings and firing up another video game in a house full of noisy teammates.”

Make sure to check out the full cover story on the Thunder HERE

KD has joined the Skullcandy NBA Crew. Skullcandy will be releasing some NBA themed headphones throughout the season, and KD will be helping promote the products along with his Thunder teammate James Harden, his USA Basketball teammates Andre Iguodala and Derrick Rose and fellow All-Star Deron Williams. This partnership is perfect for KD, as he has a love for music and has made a hobby out of producing beats. Here’s the press release from the Skullcandy team:

Taking our hoops game to the next level, Skullcandy has aligned with some of the hottest stars in the NBA to form our first ever Skullcandy dream team.

Dubbed “The Skullcandy Crew”, this instant All-Star team consists of: Thunder SF Kevin Durant, Jazz PG Deron Williams, Bulls PG Derrick Rose, Thunder SG James Harden and Sixers SG Andre Iguodala.

With teams in surf, skate, snow and several other action sports, it only made sense to broaden the Skullcandy Family to cover the NBA, further cementing the bond between music and athletes.

Skullcandy will be actively supporting charity events with each Crew member and will have exclusive access to behind the scenes action starring our NBA Crew. Whether it’s taking over our Twitter account, hanging with Snoop backstage, or dropping beast with the Roc Nation family, the Skullcandy Crew will give you the courtside view into the life of some real ballers.

The Skullcandy Crew kicked off its existence at the Palms Casino resort in Las Vegas this summer with photo shoots, a Crew dinner and a party featuring a performance by Wale. Look for NBA signature headphones to drop throughout the season, and look for the Crew to be draped in Skullcandy gear all year long.

Visit www.skullcandy.com/nba-crew to see photos and videos of the SkullCandy Crew.

KD is participating in Degree Men’s new “Chain of Adventure” web series with Bear Grylls, Mark Sanchez, Tony Hawk and Mark Messier. Check out the info on the Chain of Adventure below:

Degree Men Enlists Today’s Top Athletes to Test the World’s Most Iconic Adventure Man in New Web Video Series

NEW YORK, Oct. 15 — This fall, Degree® Men teamed up with the world’s most iconic adventure expert, Bear Grylls, to showcase its new Adventure Series of anti-perspirants and deodorant – and to bring adrenaline-fueled moments to the mainstream – in the Degree Men Chain of Adventure video series.

Over the course of the next two months, Grylls will receive a three-part chain of challenges issued by some of today’s most popular professional athletes – pro football quarterback Mark Sanchez, basketball superstar Kevin Durant, and skateboarding legend Tony Hawk. Former hockey great Mark Messier will act as the host for the Chain of Adventure and coach Grylls through each challenge.

Each iconic athlete was chosen for the role because of their “no compromises” approach to the game and ability to push beyond their limits no matter the challenge – on and off the field. Each was also a self-proclaimed Bear Grylls fan, which adds to the excitement of the program.

“My job is all about adventure whether I’m in the arctic, the desert, or free falling at 10,000 feet. I always embrace the challenges the same way: keep calm, keep focused, and never ever give up. But these athletes will be taking it to the next level,” said Grylls. “And when facing challenges on this scale, I rely on Degree Men Adventure to help me embrace the adventure with confidence, no matter how fast my heart is racing!”

CHAIN OF ADVENTURE CHALLENGES
The Degree Men Chain of Adventure video series consists of three personalized video challenges delivered to Grylls by the athletes. Each challenge stage is an adrenaline-inducing fusion of sports and adventure that will take a page from each athlete’s own playbook and mix it with a unique survival situation, including:

Mark Sanchez – For a quarterback playing at the professional level, Sanchez’s adventures start when he drops back to throw a pass and has pressure from every side. To see how Grylls handles that kind of pressure, Sanchez challenges him to escape raging white water rapids by throwing the “pass” of his life with a grappling hook.

Kevin Durant – As one of the high-flyers in the basketball world, Durant’s adventure starts when he makes a strong move toward the hoop while one of his teammates hits him with the perfect alley-oop pass. Grylls is challenged to perfectly time a jump off a cliff and latch onto a passing helicopter to pull off his own “alley-oop.”

Tony Hawk – As a legendary skateboarder who has been known to grab some “big air,” Hawk challenges Grylls to redefine “big air” by skydiving from 13,000 feet with a skateboard strapped to his feet, while sticking the landing.

“Adventurous guys need a product that allows them to attack any situation with confidence, and Degree Men captures that spirit guys have to let them push beyond their limits,” said Mike Dwyer, director of marketing, Degree Men. “Through Bear and our all-star athletes’ Chain of Adventure challenges, we want guys to connect with that feeling of adventure and know that Degree Men won’t let them down.”

Part of the popular Degree Men Adrenaline Series, new Degree Men Adventure is the ultimate adventure gear responding to increases in adrenaline by releasing extra bursts of fragrance when you sweat. Whether it’s working out in the gym or tackling the daily grind, Degree Men gives guys the protection they need for those everyday adrenaline-fueled moments.

To watch the video series, learn more about the Chain of Adventure program and share your own adrenaline-fueled adventure locations visit www.DegreeMen.com. You can also find Degree Men on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/DegreeMen and on Twitter at @DegreeMen.

About Degree:

Degree Deodorants, manufactured by Unilever, are the fastest growing brands in the male and female deodorant categories, offering top odor and wetness protection with anti-perspirants and deodorants for men, woman and teenage girls. The Degree Men line, a 2009 Product of the Year award winner, has experienced double-digit growth for five consecutive years with the Adrenaline Series, Clinical Protection and Invisible Solid anti-perspirant and deodorant varieties. In the past year, the Degree Women line has expanded beyond the Clinical, Invisible, Ultra and Girl deodorants to include Nature Effects and Fine Fragrance deodorants and body mists. All lines of Degree are available in food, drug and mass retailers nationwide. For more information, visit www.degreedeodorant.com. Degree Deodorant – it won’t let you down.

About Unilever North America

Unilever works to create a better future every day. We help people feel good, look good and get more out of life with brands and services that are good for them and good for others. Each day, around the world, we serve over two billion consumers. In the United States, Canada and the Greater Caribbean (Trinidad & Tobago, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico) the portfolio includes brand icons such as: Axe, Becel, Ben & Jerry’s, Bertolli, Blue Band, Breyers, Caress, Country Crock, Degree, Dove personal care products, Hellmann’s, Klondike, Knorr, Lipton, Omo, Popsicle, Promise, Q-Tips, Skippy, Slim-Fast, Suave, Sunsilk and Vaseline. All of the preceding brand names are registered trademarks of the Unilever Group of Companies. Dedicated to serving consumers and the communities where we live, work and play, Unilever employs more than 13,000 people across North America – generating nearly $10 billion in sales in 2009. For more information, visit www.unileverusa.com, www.unilever.ca, or www.unilevercaribbean.com.

Check out KD on the cover of this month’s Dime Magazine. This is Kevin’s third appearance on a Dime Magazine Cover. Despite KD receiving a ton of praise this summer for his accomplishments during the 2010 season and 2010 FIBA World Championship tournament, Dime writer Aron Phillips had trouble getting KD to boast about his accomplishments.

Dime’s Aron Phillips had no problem getting an All-Star collection of NBA players to gush about Durant’s talent, potential and personality, but as usual, getting KD to self-promote was tough. He’s a quiet storm like that.

Kevin’s internal confidence that is helping him become one of the most popular players in the NBA. Fans appreciate KD’s effort to let his game speak for itself.

Be sure to pick a copy of this month’s Dime Magazine. As well, find out about how the issue came together HERE.

After a record breaking third season in the NBA, KD took part in an action packed summer. Here are some of the highlights.

KD takes on China
In June, Kevin traveled to China and took part in a three city tour for Nike Basketball. He made stops in Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu. Here are some videos from his tour:

KD China Day 1

Continue reading A Look Back at KD’s Busy Summer

After a 16 year drought, KD and the USA Basketball squad were able to secure the 2010 FIBA World Championship.

KD’s performance in the tournament was nothing short of spectacular. In the last three games of the tournament he scored 33, 38 and 28 points against Russia, Lithuania and Turkey, respectively.

The 38 points in the semi-final game against Lithuania set a new USA Basketball record for most points scored in the FIBA World Championship tournament, while his seven three pointers in the gold medal game against Turkey set a new FIBA World Championship record. KD also finished the tournament with U.S. FIBA Worlds record 22.8 points in the event, shattering the 20.2 mark Luther Burden put up in 1974.

KD’s performance earned him a spot on the FIBA World Championship All-Tournament team and the tournament’s most valuable player award.

Congrats to KD and the entire USA Basketball team!

For photos for KD during the FIBA Tournament click HERE.

-Team KD

During the FIBA World Championship tournament, KD has been writing various names and numbers on his USAB Edition Nike Zoom Hyperfuse shoes. Check out this video where KD tells us the meaning behind all of the names and numbers he’s been writing on his shoes during the FIBA World Championship.

We’ve seen KD give away game tickets and shoes to fans on Twitter and Facebook. Here’s another great story of KD interacting with fans via his social media pages. This time he ended up buying a fan a pair of shoes at the Potomac Mills Mall. Here’s the story from one of KD’s fans named Brandon:

It was just a regular day, but then I saw posts on Kevin Durant’s Facebook and Twitter saying that he was going to be heading to the Potamac Mills Mall and for fans to come say what’s up to him. I immediately called everyone on my contact list that had a car, but no one had time to drive me. Finally I was able to get my cousin’s friend to take me and my two cousins to the mall. My cousin and her friend went shopping while my other cousin and I went to eat and look for Kevin Durant.

We couldn’t find KD, so we decided to wait for him outside the Nike store. He didn’t show up, so we decided to go look for him at another store. While we were walking I saw KD walking toward us. My cousin didn’t believe me until I actually went up to him. I asked for an autograph and he signed my basketball.

On his Facebook and Twitter, he said that if anyone saw him and asked him, he would get them a pair of basketball shoes. So I asked him for shoes….and he actually got me shoes! We were in Finish Line for 30 minutes with KD and his friends helping me look for the shoes I wanted. He ended up buying me a pair of the Nike Zoom Hyperfuse USAB editions that he’s wearing in FIBA World Championships this summer. Thanks for everything, KD!

KD continues to prove why he is one of the most down to earth, fan friendly athletes out there. So if you’re not following him already, make sure you add him on Facebook and Twitter. Enjoy your kicks Brandon!

-Team KD

To commemorate the 2010 World Basketball Festival and the 2010 FIBA World Championship tournament, Nike has released some special edition T-Shirts featuring WBF Illustrations of KD. Click on the shirt of your choice to purchase at the Nike store.

Youth/Boy’s Grey (Remember, this one is for KIDS only!)

Continue reading Get Your Kevin Durant World Basketball Festival T-Shirts!