Podcast Summary: "Kevin Durant: 'You were hot for a minute'"

Not This Again with Bobbi Althoff
Episode Date: October 30, 2025
Host: Bobbi Althoff
Special Guest: Kevin Durant

Main Theme

The episode features NBA superstar Kevin Durant in a wide-ranging and candid conversation with host Bobbi Althoff. With her trademark understated humor and awkward charm, Althoff steers the discussion through Durant’s basketball journey, his relationship with his mother, struggles with insecurity, experiences of fame, personal philosophies, and thoughts on parenting, relationships, AI, and life after basketball. The tone is playful, vulnerable, and sometimes philosophical, with both participants sharing personal stories amidst deadpan banter.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Kevin Durant’s Height, Insecurity, and Self-Acceptance

• Durant jokes about never really knowing his official height:

  "Some say I'm 6'9. Some say I'm 7 feet. I don't know." (01:12)

• He opens up about past struggles with body image and standing out:

  "I was insecure about how I looked. It was crazy." (01:51) "I just snapped out of it because this was stupid to even care... I learned I accept it." (02:11, 02:38)

• Bobbi commiserates about insecurities and standing out, bringing a relatable, self-deprecating humor.

2. Childhood, Growing Up Tall, and Athletic Origins

• Durant was over 6 feet tall by age 12:

  "I hit 6ft at 12." (04:55)

• Shares early experiences in basketball, starting with neighborhood games and rec centers, highlighting the importance of community and repetition in developing as an athlete.
• Discusses the impact of a strict but supportive mother:

  “She would get mad at me if I didn’t feel the way she felt about it. She knew.” (11:05)

3. Parenting Styles, Childhood Upbringing, and Breaking Cycles

• Both share stories of discipline from their mothers, ranging from soap in mouth to pinches and slaps (14:44–15:39).
• Reflect on how strict or “rough” parenting built resilience and character:

  “We was combative as a kid... she just put in overdrive.” (16:28)
  “As you get older, you appreciate that.” (16:56)

• KD describes his mother’s efforts alongside community members (11:19) and the significance of generational family ties and support systems.

4. Relationships with Mothers and Generational Growth

• Durant and Bobbi discuss evolving relationships with their mothers, moving from combative as kids to deep mutual understanding and friendship as adults (17:43–19:56).
• Both reflect on becoming more like their parents in habits and attitudes, and how their parenting influences their own children’s behaviors (19:33–20:48).

5. Parenting, Forcing Kids, and Finding Passion

• Bobbi expresses her desire for her daughters to find their passion, wishing her parents had "forced" her to stick with something (11:42–12:24).
• Both agree that kids thrive with less power over major decisions and with structured guidance (12:16).
• KD confirms he’d like kids but isn’t in a rush (12:30).

6. Fame, Family, and Identity

• KD discusses large extended family and the sense of rootedness it brings (22:24–22:51).
• Shares how life on the road and summers in LA give him perspective and balance (23:09).
• Talks playfully about surf and other sports, asserting if he trained enough, he could pick them up due to his athletic adaptability (24:07).

7. Approaching AI, Technology, and the State of the World

• The conversation turns philosophical on AI and the overload of information:

  “The more that we've learned over the last 10 years through technology and shit, the worse the world has become.” (28:55)

• Discusses Sam Altman’s doomsday take on AI, the dangers of deep fakes, and the challenge of discerning truth (29:04–31:15).
• Both admit to using ChatGPT, with KD more for information and Bobbi for writing emails:

  “I want to formulate my own thoughts and messages and tones.” (31:33)

8. Kevin Durant: Unfiltered, Life Off the Court

• KD explains his zero-tolerance for fanfare around his private life, relationships, and dating preferences:

  "I'm not actually looking for anything... just someone I can hang out with every day." (49:14)

• Reflects on commitment, cohabitation, and keeping one’s own space (51:15–52:39).
• Candid about marriage:

  “I don't want to get married... just want a relationship that works.” (57:11–58:01)

• Discusses parenthood and his priorities, including raising athletic, well-rounded kids, but is easy-going about specifics like gender or sport (94:02).

9. Life as a Pro Athlete: Routine, Longevity, and Retirement

• Details rigorous training as a youth, deep family sacrifice, and how being “forced” not to quit left a lasting impact (86:02–88:36).
• Asserts: “If you don't use it, you lose it,” stressing consistent movement for health and athleticism (83:07–83:34).
• On sleep and recovery:

  "I probably sleep five and a half hours." (79:00) "White noise—yeah, I didn't realize that I loved white noise until...I'm tapping into my kid-like energy." (80:18)

• Honesty about the toll age takes on an elite athlete’s body (78:26).

10. After Basketball: What Comes Next?

• Explores options: broadcast media, podcasting, music, and acting:

  “I thought I would want to do [podcasting] a few years ago. Now it’s just oversaturated.” (73:17) On acting: "I did, like, this cheesy movie when I was 23 called Thunderstruck." (76:23)

• Expresses contentedness with basketball as his focus and legacy.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Insecurity:
  "I was just too tall, man. I was too skinny, maybe. I just felt like I stood out for no reason." — Kevin Durant (02:29)
• On Parenting:
  "Kids shouldn't have that much power... they shouldn't have any power until..." — Kevin Durant (12:24)
• On Family Support:
  "Her and my aunt, she got mad siblings on her dad's side. I got so many family members. My grandmother had like 18 brothers and sisters." — Kevin Durant (22:24)
• On AI:
  "I don't see how the advancement of technology is scary. People are scary. Don't get me wrong—people are scary." — Kevin Durant (32:14)
• On Retirement:
  "Who knows? I might do that, or I might just do a bunch of... I just feel like what do other NBA players do when they retire?" — Kevin Durant (73:02)
• On Legacy:
  "I just want to be reliable... where a coach can't take me off the floor." — Kevin Durant (101:30)
• On What It Takes to Stick With It:
  "If you don't use it, you lose it." — Kevin Durant (83:34)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Discussion on Height & Insecurity: 01:00–02:38
• Family, Upbringing, and Strict Mothers: 13:08–17:13
• Perspective on Parenting Today: 11:42–12:24, 19:33–20:48
• AI, Technology, and Deep Fakes: 28:55–32:14
• Parenting Styles, Quitting, and Perseverance: 86:02–88:36
• Thoughts on Retirement Plans: 73:02–74:55
• Reflections on Aging as an Athlete: 78:26–79:55
• Marriage, Relationships, and Expectations: 57:11–62:21
• Importance of Repetition and Practice: 82:11–84:21
• KD on Not Quitting Basketball as a Child: 86:02–88:36

Tone & Style

• Bobbi Althoff’s signature deadpan humor and awkwardness brings levity, while Durant is unguarded yet quietly philosophical.
• The episode is marked by gentle teasing, mutual vulnerability, and candid insights, with memorable exchanges about growing up, relationships, fame, and the anxieties of both celebrity and parenthood.

For listeners and non-listeners alike, this episode of "Not This Again" offers a refreshingly open and often humorous look at Kevin Durant’s life on and off the court—with honest discussion about self-doubt, family, legacy, and authenticity at every turn.