Claim: The first freshman to be named Naismith College Player of the Year was Kevin Durant.

Kevin Wayne Durant -LRB- born September 29 , 1988 -RRB- is an American professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association -LRB- NBA -RRB- . Durant has won an NBA Most Valuable Player Award , four NBA scoring titles , the NBA Rookie of the Year Award , and two Olympic gold medals . He has also been selected to seven All-NBA teams and eight All-Star teams .   Durant was a heavily recruited high school prospect . He played one season of college basketball for the University of Texas , where he won numerous year-end awards and became the first freshman to be named Naismith College Player of the Year . In the 2007 NBA draft , he was selected with the second overall pick by the Seattle SuperSonics . After his rookie season , the team relocated to Oklahoma City and became the Thunder . Durant helped lead Oklahoma City to the 2012 NBA Finals , losing to the Miami Heat in five games . He played nine seasons for the Thunder organization before joining the Warriors in 2016 .   Off the court , Durant often ranks as one of the highest-earning basketball players in the world , due in part to endorsement deals with companies such as Foot Locker and Nike . He has developed a reputation for his philanthropy and regularly leads the league in All-Star votes and jersey sales . In recent years , he has contributed to The Players ' Tribune as both a photographer and writer . In 2012 , he tried his hand at acting , appearing in the film Thunderstruck .