On the night the Thunder raised their championship banner to the rafters, former OKC star Kevin Durant lifted something special himself.
Durant, who made his Rockets season debut in Tuesday's double overtime loss to the his former team, finished with 23 points and nearly cost Houston the game with a careless error at the end of the first OT. While most Thunder fans at Paycom Center greeted him with loud jeers and boos, one fan saw how special Durant's return was and wanted to create a long-lasting memory—for himself and his baby.
A Thunder fan was seen handing Durant his baby—appropriately dressed in Durant's old Thunder jersey—and asking for a picture in a TikTok video from the game. Durant immediately smiled upon the request and held the baby for several seconds, with the young tot staring in awe at the NBA star before getting returned to his parents.
"He's mesmerized by you, KD," the mother said. "Thank you so much."
KD = for the people pic.twitter.com/c1NaBCahgH
— Coy (@WickedCoy) October 22, 2025
Such a priceless moment.
Durant's longest stint on an NBA team was with the Thunder, where he spent nine years fighting for a championship (that he would eventually win the year after he left for the Warriors). Even though he came up short during his time in OKC, he arguably still means a lot to the Thunder fanbase, in this generation as well as the next.
"Walking onto the court, at the hotel, walking around town, every time I come here, it's just so much love and respect," Durant told reporters after the game. "People always telling me they appreciate my time here. And I feel the same way."
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Kevin Durant Holding a Baby Thunder Fan Was Priceless Moment from Rockets Debut.
