Why Kevin Durant's height and build got him the nickname 'Slim Reaper' and why he doesn't like it
During his MVP season in 2013-14, Kevin Durant earned the nickname 'Slim Reaper'.
Take a look at how Durant earned the nickname and why he wasn't a fan of it initially.
Did Kevin Durant's height earn him the nickname 'Slim Reaper'?
Kevin Durant was in his seventh NBA season in 2013-14. By that time, he had made four All-Star teams and won three scoring titles. Additionally, he led the OKC Thunder to the 2011-12 NBA Finals. Durant was en route to winning the MVP award and also led the league in scoring for the fourth time.
Durant, who has always been notably tall and slender, earned the nickname 'Slim Reaper' due to his 6' 11" height and 240-pound build. He was initially dubbed 'Slim Reaper' by a redditor, and the nickname became popular.
Why Kevin Durant didn't like the nickname 'Slim Reaper'
After his 'Slim Reaper' nickname became popular, Kevin Durant said that he wasn't a fan of the nickname. Following a 2014 shootaround as a member of the OKC Thunder, Durant said:
"The name is what it is. It's cool to have a nickname somebody else gave to you. It's kind of weird if you make your own nickname up, but to have that out there, I guess, is cool."
The 12-time All-Star then added why he doesn't like the nickname, as it resonates with death:
"I'm here to shine a bright light. I'm not here to be a guy of, I guess, death. We'll see what happens with that, but I just like KD better. Everybody's been loving the name. I think I'm the only one that really doesn't like it too much."
Watch Durant's highlights below:
Kevin Durant has grown to embrace his nickname
Despite his initial hesitance to embrace the nickname 'Slim Reaper', Durant eventually changed his stance. During a 2020 interview, Durant said that he embraced the name, saying:
"It wasn't time, but it's time now. It wasn't time back then. It's something simmering underneath with that. It's time now. Back then, it was too good of a nickname for me to just take at that age. I'd rather wait till I finish cooking."
Watch Durant discuss now embracing the nickname 'Slim Reaper' below (43:46 mark):
Durant took his embracement of the 'Slim Reaper' nickname to another level the following season.
Two distinct design details on the KD 14:
- “The Slim Reaper” comes to life, with the strap shape inspired by a Scythe
- Inner cage design draws from the Nike Air Presto twitter.com/NickDePaula/st… https://t.co/26CKkpMQpy
The KD 14's, Durant's signature shoe, included a nod to the nickname.