Kevin Durant’s finals appearances: How many Finals has KD been to?

Durant's illustrious career has seen him win 2 NBA championships, 2 Finals MVP, a regular season MVP, 3 Olympic Gold Medals and a FIBA World Cup title. But exactly how many finals appearances does KD have?


Kevin Durant’s finals appearances: How many Finals has KD been to?

One of the best players of his generation, Kevin Durant has dominated the sport for more than a decade now. His legendary back-to-back title-winning campaigns with the Golden State Warriors have been the pinnacle of his illustrious career. But the first of Kevin Durant’s Finals appearances came way back before his time with the Warriors. 

Drafted in 2007 as the second overall pick by the then-Seattle SuperSonics, KD kicked off his NBA career by dazzling his skills on the court. Durant’s first season in the NBA was enough to let the world know he had arrived. Eventually, KD was named Rookie of the year in 2008. 

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Over the years, Durant’s illustrious career would see him win 2 NBA championships, 2 Finals MVP, a regular season MVP, 3 Olympic Gold Medals and a FIBA World Cup title. But exactly how many finals appearances does Kevin Durant have?

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Also Read: How many NBA Finals appearances does Kobe Bryant have ?

How many times did Kevin Durant go to the finals?

Kevin Durant has been to 4 NBA Finals till date in his career. Three of Durant’s Finals appearances came with the Golden State Warriors in 2016, 2017 and 2018. KD made it to one NBA Finals with the Oklahoma City Thunder way back in 2012.

Kevin durant finals appearances
KD with the 2017 Finals MVP (Getty)

When was Kevin Durant’s first finals appearance?

Kevin Durant’s first finals appearance came during the 2011-12 NBA Finals. They were up against the Miami Heat with LeBron James up front. Unfortunately for KD, Miami Heat won the series 4-1. It was Kevin Durant’s first-ever NBA Finals and his first-ever Finals defeat. 

What teams did Kevin Durant lose to in the NBA Finals?

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Steph and KD (Getty)

To date, Kevin Durant has lost two NBA Finals – one to the Miami Heat in 2012, and another to the Toronto Raptors in 2019. Both of the losses came as a disappointment to KD, given his stellar performances that drove his team to the NBA Finals.

Kevin Durant’s NBA finals appearances

2012: Vs Mighty LeBron’s Miami Heat

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In his fresh prime, KD led the Oklahoma City Thunder to the 2012 Finals vs the Miami Heat. With LeBron James at the helm, Miami won the Finals series 4-1 despite Durant’s massive display.

KD averaged 30.6 points in the Finals doing so on a 54.8 shooting rate, but Oklahoma City Thunder fell short in front of the Heat’s utter supremacy in the final showdown.

2017: First Title, First Finals MVP

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In his debut season with the Golden State Warriors, KD dazzled the courts driving the Warriors to their 2016 Finals. As if written in the stars, it was against none other than LeBron’s Cleveland Cavaliers.

With a phenomenal performance from KD, the Warriors beat the Cavaliers 4-1 to clinch the title. In the Finals series, Durant was his team’s top scorer in every game, averaging 35.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 5.4 assists. Golden. KD was ultimately named the Finals MVP.

2018: Back-to-back Championship, Another Finals MVP

Durant and Co. came back straight to win yet another Championship the following season. The Warriors beat the Cavaliers again, this time 4-0, as KD was named Finals MVP.

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Durant averaged 28.8 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 7.5 assists, per game in the Finals series. It was the Warriors’ third title in 4 years since 2015, and KD’s second NBA championship.

2019: The Heartbreak

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On their way to a legendary three-peat, Kevin Durant and the Warriors’ dreams were shattered as they crumbled in defeat at the 2019 Finals before the Toronto Raptors. The series ended 4-2 in an unfortunate turn of events for Golden State and their three-peat chase cut short.

Worse yet, Durant sustained an Achilles tendon injury two minutes into the second quarter of Game 5 of the Finals, after he had scored 11 points in the first. It was also the only game of the Finals series KD played due to his previous injuries.

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KD for the Phoenix Suns (NBA)

Nevertheless, Kevin Durant remains one of the best forwards in the franchise’s history and a strong candidate for the NBA Hall of Fame. Now playing for the Suns, fans love watching their beloved KD dominate the courts time and again.

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