NBA
Why is Kevin Durant returning to the University of Texas?
The Phoenix Suns will face the San Antonio Spurs at the Texas Longhorns’ Moody Center, where they have started their seasons in the last three years.
Kevin Durant graduated from the University of Texas 17 years ago, but in 2025, he will return to the university campus to play an NBA game. The league announced the 2024-25 season schedule, and the Phoenix Suns will face the San Antonio Spurs on February 20, 2025, at the Moody Center, the new home of the Longhorns.
‘Durantula’ was one of the one-and-done players who only played one season of college basketball before turning pro and found immediate success in the NBA. The forward played the 2006-07 season with the Longhorns and earned multiple individual awards after averaging 25.8 points and 11.1 rebounds in 35 games for Texas.
It’s important to note that Durant did not play any games at the Moody Center, which was set to open in 2022. Due to its drum-like circular architecture, the NBA superstar played his college games at the Frank Erwin Center, also known as The Drum.
Spurs’ third straight year at Moody Center
On November 7, 2022, the Texas Longhorns men’s basketball team won their first home opener at the Moody Center against the UTEP Miners with a score of 72-57 in front of 11,313 spectators.
Since the Moody Center opened in 2022, the Spurs have played two games per season at the Longhorns’ home.
The NBA franchise has dubbed these games the Interstate 35 Series. In 2023-24, the San Antonio team faced the Denver Nuggets and Brooklyn Nets, and a season earlier, the games were against the Portland Trail Blazers and Minnesota Timberwolves.