Kevin Durant Committed $10M To Establish A Free Maryland-Based After-School Facility Supporting Underserved Scholars Looking To Obtain A Bachelor’s Degree – AfroTech
Kevin Durant is making sure the community in which he was raised is a part of his success story.
Durant is in his 19th season with the NBA and is reportedly one of the best basketball players to hit the court. This was reflected in his being named to the Top 75 as part of the 75th Anniversary Team in 2021. Durant’s career earnings have surpassed $501 million, according to Spotrac.
Off the court, he is signed to a lifetime Nike deal, as AFROTECH™ previously told you. He is also the co-founder of Boardroom, a sports, media, and entertainment brand launched alongside his business partner Rich Kleiman. Additionally, he is a serial investor through his venture capital firm Thirty Five Ventures (35V), which has a portfolio that includes NJ/NY Gotham Football Club of the National Women’s Soccer League, plant-based superfood nutrition company Happy Viking, and health tracking firm WHOOP. 35V’s website states it has invested in more than 100 startups.
As his impact grows, Durant is also being proactive about ensuring his success benefits Prince George’s County, MD, where he was raised. In 2019, Durant established a $10 million commitment to open an after-school facility in the area named in his honor, ESPN reports. Called the College Track at The Durant Center, the program strives to ensure first-generation and underserved scholars will obtain a four-year degree, per information on Instagram.
According to College Track’s website, Durant visited its Oakland, CA, location in 2017, which influenced his decision to make the multi-million-dollar commitment over 10 years to bring it to Prince George’s County. The center, which was College Track’s first East Coast location, was established in partnership with the Kevin Durant Charity Foundation and Prince George’s County Public Schools.
ESPN notes the College Track at The Durant Center provides scholarships, tutoring, and emotional and financial support. It also offers leadership skill building, college workshops and tours, academic advising, and networking opportunities.
“We got a lot of resources in our county, and my influence and my name over the last two decades just been around the county from community events just from investing back into the community. So, I bought a building. I had started an after school program and it was going well,” Durant reflected on the “Unguarded” podcast.
