Ever since Kevin Durant entered the NBA, his awards and accolades have kept piling up—from three-time scoring champion to Olympic gold medalist.
So, is the Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star ready to add an Oscar to his trophy collection? We kinda doubt that, but Durant went straight from the Olympic podium to the sound stage for his acting debut in the upcoming feature film, Thunderstruck. Opening in theaters this Friday, Thunderstruck (trailer above) is a basketball movie in which Durant magically switches hoop skills with a talentless 16-year-old kid, played by Nickelodeon star Taylor Gray.
“Of course, people are going to look at it a little different because I’m a basketball player, and I’m doing something different,” says Durant. “A basketball player is what I do. It’s not really just solely who I am. I like to do other things. It’s all about conquering your fears. That’s one thing I did with this, stepping in front of a camera and people yelling ‘Action!’ It’s not the norm for me. I did something outside the box, and I’m glad it turned out pretty well.”
Durant is following in the footsteps of other NBA icons who have been lured to Hollywood, including Michael Jordan (Space Jam) and Shaquille O’Neal (Kazaam).
Thunderstruck director John Whitesell says, “When a guy goes over and hugs his mom after the game, that’s a guy that people are going to like, and that’s what you need in a movie. You need a guy, a star, who people are going to want to relate to or are going to care about.”
There’s no question that Durant is one of the most-liked NBA players of his generation. If  Thunderstruck bombs at the box office, we’ll all find a way to forgive him…just like we did with MJ and Shaq.
Thunderstruck, rated PG, opens today in limited release.
Source: Washington Post