"Leader of the new school": Kevin Durant's brother Tony Durant shares his reaction as the NBA star rocks Long Island Lutheran HS-themed custom kicks

Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant rocked Long Island Lutheran High School-themed sneakers during the Suns’ 120-113 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Monday. The NBA star has been rocking high school-themed shoes recently as part of his Nike KD 17 Player Exclusives signature sneaker line.

The gesture, posted on Instagram by LuHi Basketball, attracted reactions from netizens, including Durant’s older brother, Tony Durant. Tony hailed his brother, commenting:

“Leader of the new school 🔥”

Tony Durant's comment on his brother's LuHi-themed kicks

Durant had an impressive outing on Monday, scoring 27 points, grabbing eight rebounds and dishing out five assists.

Like KD, Tony also grew up loving basketball and playing the game. He played college basketball at Towson University, where he averaged 3.2 points and 1.8 rebounds.

However, unlike his brother, Tony was unable to play basketball at a professional level. Notwithstanding, he is still involved in the game, coaching at the youth level. His Instagram bio says he’s the “EYBL 15U Head Coach” and “Team Durant 2030 Jr. EYBL Head Coach.”

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Kevin Durant's Nike high school NIL involvement and KD 17 PEs promotion

Kevin Durant has been involved in the Nike high school NIL scheme, with his voice featured in an announcement of the Nike 2024 NIL roster. The commercial featured him welcoming high school basketball stars, including AJ Dybantsa, Jerzy Robinson and Jazzy Davidson.

Durant has also been rocking other high school-themed sneakers for his Nike KD 17 Player Exclusive line, including Montverde, Gonzaga and Mater Dei.

Durant started his high school basketball career at National Christian Academy in Fort Washington, Maryland, where he played for two years before transferring to Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Virginia. He spent a year at Oak Hill before transferring to Montrose Christian School in Rockville, Maryland, for his senior year.

Before the start of his senior year, Durant pledged his commitment to the University of Texas at Austin. He had been recruited by top college basketball programs, including UConn, North Carolina, Duke, Kentucky and Louisville. He visited UConn and North Carolina during his recruitment.

At the time he committed to Texas, the Longhorns were not as well-known as some other basketball programs recruiting him. However, Durant insisted that he “wanted to set my own path.”

Kevin Durant’s path saw him become the first college freshman to win the National Player of the Year award, as a unanimous honoree in 2006-07.