Arkansas' Top-10 recruit Meleek Thomas makes his feelings clear on Kevin Durant
Add Meleek Thomas to the growing list of young basketball stars who hold NBA legend Kevin Durant in high regard. The Arkansas commit shared a photo of the Phoenix Suns forward on his Instagram story with the caption:
"If you don't appreciate bro in da game of basketball you lost."
Thomas, who currently plays in the Overtime Elite (OTE), shared the story featuring Durant on Sunday after the Phoenix Suns defeated the Golden State Warriors. The photo showed Durant interacting with fans following the Suns' 113-105 win. He starred in the victory, posting a double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds.
Durant has been a fan favorite of hoopers, from high school and college players to his fellow NBA stars. Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards and New York Knicks big man Karl-Anthony Towns have made no secret of Durant being their idol while growing up.
At the age of 36, Durant has shown no signs of slowing down, averaging 26.8 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game for the Suns this season. As one of the league's top scorers, it is no surprise that Durant has become a role model for young players like Thomas.
Meleek Thomas to join Arkansas in 2025 after Overtime Elite stint
Thomas grabbed the headlines last month when the five-star prospect committed to the Arkansas Razorbacks and joined John Calipari's class of 2025. That class is starting to become loaded with talent, with Thomas joining fellow top-10 recruit Darius Acuff on the list of new additions.
The 18-year-old Pittsburgh native currently plays for the City Reapers in the OTE basketball league.
He made waves in the Nike EYBL before his move to OTE earlier this year, averaging 20.3 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists per outing.
Thomas also participated in this year's Nike Peach Jam as a member of the New Heights Lightning. He was one of the tournament's top performers, averaging 18.8 ppg, 5.2 rpg and 3.5 apg through six games.
Arkansas has become a premier destination for the country's top young basketball stars following John Calipari's switch from Kentucky. The Razorbacks hold a 5-2 record this season, with Arkansas losing its last game against the Illinois Fighting Illini 90-77 on Thursday.