13 May Kevin Durant and His Mom: True sports heroes
If you are interested in reading about Kevin Durant’s contributions to the game of basketball, you might want to skip this article and turn to the next section of the paper. But if you are interested in true heroism—doing something brave and admirable in the face of adversity—read on.
Last Tuesday the NBA awarded Kevin Durant the Most Valuable Player award. His acceptance speech was unlike any other I’ve read or heard. “First I would like to thank God for changing my life. He let me really realize what life is all about. Basketball is just a platform to let me inspire people, and I realize that.”
He tearfully expressed appreciation for family, friends and team mates who demonstrated support for him through the years, especially when he his performance lagged.
But the most touching part of Durant’s discussion was his passionate tribute to his mother, Wanda Pratt. He made it clear that she was his greatest influence for good. He joked that his mother directed him to play organized basketball as a means of getting out of the house. But he went on to point out that her value in his life had little to do with the game.
“And last, my mom. I don’t think you know what you did,” he said as he wept openly. “You had my brother when you were 18 years old — three years later I came out. The odds were stacked against us; single parent with two boys by the time you were 21 years old. Everybody told us we weren’t supposed to be here.”
He briefly discussed the limited resources at her disposal as she taught her sons to be good and honorable young men. He counted among his favorite childhood memories the time she and the boys moved into their first apartment—with no furniture—and hugged each other. “We thought we had made it.”
“We weren’t supposed to be here. You made us believe, you kept us off the street, you put clothes on our backs, food on the table,” he added. “You went to sleep hungry. You sacrificed for us. YOU’RE THE REAL MVP.”(emphasis added)
The audience responded by giving Kevin’s mother a standing ovation.
This was one of the few sports stories in which I saw a hero in action. Kevin was a hero for having the courage to place his mother front and center in his discussion of what made him a success in the NBA and in life.
He highlighted the actions of his own hero, his mother who sacrificed so much—not to make a great basketball player, but a great man. I believe she is successful on both accounts.
Friday I got to see another act of heroism as Christopher and Rachel, my son and daughter-in-law, invited a little child into the world and into their home. My wife and I rushed to the hospital to see their precious little girl get her first checkup, hairdo and a bow glued to the side of her head before being handed back to her parents. I looked at Rachel with admiration, knowing she had sacrificed her body, her comfort—even her life—by willingly giving this child life. Chris sacrificed as well, even risking his dear wife and mother of their two other children, in bringing a child into the world.
As I watched Ruth, my wife, holding our new little granddaughter it reminded me of the profound appreciation I have had for her through our 29 years of marriage. She has given all for the health and benefit of others, especially our children. I love and honor her each day for all she does.
I thank and honor all mothers who—even when they did not start in the way they had hoped or intended—give all they have and are to make a better world for even one child.
I hope you had a happy Mother’s Day.
Michael D. Williams is a licensed psychotherapist, a Marriage & Family Therapist with over 25 years’ experience. Please offer your feedback or suggestions for future articles at his blog, MichaelWilliamsCounseling.com, or call him at 360-2365.