Kevin Durant drops 3-word reaction after $80,000,000 million former baseball star's Hall of Fame induction

Kevin Durant is a known baseball fan. In 2024, KD’s “Boardroom” linked up with Major League Baseball for an event called “Dinner in the Desert.” The Phoenix Suns star hosted MLB Commissioner Ryan Manfred and players Mookie Betts, Tyler Glasnow, Willy Adames, Dansby Swanson and Julio Rodriguez.

On Tuesday, following the announcement of the Baseball 2025 Hall of Fame Class, KD reacted with a story on Instagram. He wrote:

“Yessssssir congrats legend”

KD giving newly-announced Hall of Famer CC Sabathia a shout-out on Instagram. [photo: @easymoneysniper/IG]

The shout-out written by Durant was for CC Sabathia, who joined Ichiro Suzuki and Billy Wagner on the list of inductees. Sabathia earned the distinction in his first year on the ballot with 86.8% of votes. The pitcher, valued at $80 million by Celebrity Net Worth, won the World Series in 2009 with the New York Yankees.

Sabathia was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in 2001 and finished second in the AL Rookie of the Year race to Ichiro Suzuki. The lefty pitcher was voted the AL Cy Young winner in 2007. He played his last 11 seasons in the majors with the Yankees, two as Ichiro’s teammate, and won the 2009 World Series.

CC Sabathia’s resume includes six All-Star selections and 3,093 career strikeouts to join a club with only 19 other members in MLB history. Among lefties, he's second on the list, behind icons Randy Johnson and Steve Carlton.

Kevin Durant didn't hesitate to call the 2009 ALCS MVP a “legend.”

---

Kevin Durant’s “Boardroom” featured CC Sabathia in 2023

Roughly a year before the dinner in Arizona with the MLB commissioner and star baseball players, Kevin Durant featured CC Sabathia in a “Boardroom” special. The piece, written by Shlomo Sprung, was “Family Business.”

The article dug deep into Sabathia as a player and why he would be a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame.

Sprung didn't stop with baseball because the lefty pitcher had already retired when Durant’s team featured him. The work also extensively covered his life after hanging up his glove. Sprung summarized that Sabathia wouldn't fade into obscurity.

Rich Kleiman, Kevin Durant’s agent, also interviewed CC Sabathia via the “Boardroom.” The former New York Yankees pitcher appeared with his wife in the show. The host and the couple talked about multiple topics, including business, life after baseball and the former Cy Young winner’s work as an MLB “special assistant.”

Considering his previous work with CC Sabathia, it wasn’t surprising that Kevin Durant rejoiced in his induction to the Baseball Hall of Fame.