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Chris Tomasson: LeBron lauds Durant’s Okla. relief donation: “It’s a tragedy what those people in Oklahoma are going through I think it’s great what KD did" Twitter @christomasson

Miami Heat, Oklahoma City Thunder, LeBron James, Kevin Durant 

Vice President Joe Biden called NBA star Kevin Durant to thank the Oklahoma City player for pledging a $1 million donation to the victims of Monday's deadly tornado. "You're not only a great athlete, you're a great humanitarian. On behalf of all of us, thank you for your generosity," the vice president told Durant, according to his official Twitter feed. The Hill

Oklahoma City Thunder, Kevin Durant, Joe Biden 

Nike stands with Kevin Durant to support the victims of the Oklahoma tornadoes. $1M worth of Nike products will be donated to those affected by the storms, and the profits from Oklahoma City KD V Elites sold on Nike.com between May 23 and June 15 will go towards Oklahoma Relief efforts. Nike.com

Oklahoma City Thunder, Kevin Durant, Sneakers, Oklahoma City 

Darnell Mayberry: Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Tim Duncan, Chris Paul and Kobe Bryant have been named to the All-NBA First Team. Twitter @DarnellMayberry

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Kevin Durant unveiled his completed back tattoo Wednesday on Instagram. The artwork, which took years to complete, has a religious theme, with portraits of Jesus and an angel holding a basketball, along with two hands signaling three and five for Durant’s No. 35 jersey number. There’s also a 58-word bible passage from James 1:2-4. It’s a fitting quote that deals with accepting pressures and working hard to overcome them. But there’s just one problem. Sarah Kogod of The Washington Post noticed that one of the words isn’t spelled correctly. Can you find which one? For The Win

Oklahoma City Thunder, Kevin Durant 

Others were simply surprised because they'd assumed Durant was tattoo-free because they'd never seen any; this is also a bit silly, but at least not quite so judgmental. Whatever your reaction to the artistic revelation, it confirmed that — like many of his peers, both within the NBA and outside it — Durant digs ink, setting the stage for new and interesting decorations to come. The self-expression continued a couple of months later, with the Oklahoma City Thunder star getting "Maryland" (his home state) tattooed across his shoulder-blades above a basketball-holding angel flanked by hands gesturing with Durant's number 35. Apparently, though, the piece wasn't complete. This week, Durant used some of his newfound, unexpected free time to get it finished: Yahoo! Sports

Oklahoma City Thunder, Kevin Durant 

So as he watched the horrifying images Monday as a tornado ripped through suburban Moore, the emotions came bubbling to the surface and so did the need to help. Durant pledged $1 million for tornado relief through his family foundation on Tuesday, eager to help a devastated area begin to rebuild. "As the day went on and I saw the footage and the casualties and the houses being blown away, it was tough to see," said Durant, who was in Minneapolis to watch longtime friend Monica Wright play a preseason game for the Minnesota Lynx. "I call Oklahoma City my home. I go through Moore all the time. It's unfortunate. We're going to come together as a city like we always do and we're going to bounce back." ESPN.com

Oklahoma City Thunder, Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City 

Brian Mahoney: Thunder owner Clay Bennett on @Kevin Durant making $1 million donation. "As extraordinary as that number is, it does not surprise me a bit." Twitter @briancmahoney

Oklahoma City Thunder, Kevin Durant, Clay Bennett, Oklahoma City 

Those who have tuned into the new the past two days, have probably stumbled across the devastation in Oklahoma City as a result of a disastrous tornado. While athletes are not typically not the stars in the disaster relief, this time around there is a huge star and his name is Kevin Durant. Oklahoma City All-Star Kevin Durant privately donated 1 million dollars to the Red Cross in order to assist in the disaster relief. His donation will be put to good use as many residents homes were completed demolished. AthletePromotions

Oklahoma City Thunder, Kevin Durant 

Jon Krawczynski: Durant: "It’s tough right now, but the sun is going to shine soon. We’ve just got to stick together." Twitter

Oklahoma City Thunder, Kevin Durant 

Per the Red Cross, Kevin Durant has given a $1 million donation to the disaster relief fund. Yesterday Durant tweeted, “Praying for the victims of the Tornadoes in OKC these last few days..Everybody stay safe!” DailyThunder.com

Oklahoma City Thunder, Kevin Durant 

Kent Youngblood: Fans attending today's Lynx game will notice Kevin Durant sitting courtside, watching his good friend Monica Wright. Twitter

Oklahoma City Thunder, Kevin Durant 

A prominent member of the Westboro Baptist Church is drawing a link between the Oklahoma tornado's devastation and a local team's support for openly gay NBA star Jason Collins. Fred Phelps Jr., the son of Westboro Baptist Church minister Fred Phelps, tweeted the following: "OK Thunder's Durant flips God by praising fag Collins. God smashes OK. You do the math. #GodH8sFags #FagsDoomNations #FearGod #GodH8sU" Huffington Post

Oklahoma City Thunder, Kevin Durant, Jason Collins 

The massive tornado that ripped through a handful of Oklahoma City suburbs grabbed the attention of the sports world on Monday, especially for the players and coaches with ties to the area. Kevin Durant, a three-time scoring champion for the NBA's Oklahoma City Thunder, posted on his Twitter account that he was praying for everyone involved. He added: "Everybody stay safe!" ESPN.com

Oklahoma City Thunder, Kevin Durant 

Royce Young: Presti called Westbrook and Durant the "caretakers of the organization" and "drivers of our culture." Twitter @dailythunder

Oklahoma City Thunder, Kevin Durant, Sam Presti, Russell Westbrook 

But after Kevin Durant provided a level-headed and mature response, filled with perspective and void of hyperbole, his answer seemed to almost sell short his competitive spirit. “Nothing’s ever a wasted year for me. It’s basketball,” Durant said. “I’ve grown so much as a man since the beginning of the season. I’ve grown so much as a leader. Nothing is ever wasted. Of course the ultimate goal in this league is to win a championship. But I’m never going to say I wasted a year. I’m blessed to even wake up and do something I love every day. So it’s never wasted. We take that for granted a lot. But that’s something I’m not going to do. I enjoy playing this game. I enjoy playing for this city, my teammates. So every day I get to see those guys and go through some tough times and laugh and argue it’s never wasted. I’m just blessed to be here. And I’m never going to take it for granted.” Oklahoman

Oklahoma City Thunder, Kevin Durant 

Following his response, Durant was then asked what he would say to possible critics who might hear his outlook and question his competitive fire. “I don’t give a damn. I’m going to be who I’m going to be,” Durant said. “I’m not Kobe Bryant. I’m not Michael Jordan. I’m not LeBron James. I’m not Magic Johnson. I’m me. I’m not going to ever compromise myself, my integrity and what I believe in for winning some basketball games and winning a championship. That’s just not I how I was brought up. I’m always going to fight for this game I love. I’m going to claw until the last buzzer sounds. And if that’s after a championship then of course I’ll be happy. I’m not satisfied just being in this league and losing. I’m going to work as hard as I can to try to get to that mountaintop. I enjoy playing the game. I enjoy being here. But I’m never going to come out to the media and say we wasted a year because we lost a championship. Like I said, I don’t have to be Kobe Bryant.” Oklahoman

Oklahoma City Thunder, Kevin Durant 

Kevin Durant leads all NBA players in career commercial appearances with 63 at last count, according to standings calculated by HoopsHype. Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers is second with 42 and Miami's LeBron James is third with 39. In team rankings, OKC ranks third with 88 total commercials, trailing the Los Angeles Lakers with 125 and the Miami Heat with 91. Russell Westbrook is second among Thunder players with 11 commercials, followed by Serge Ibaka (six), Nick Collison, Kendrick Perkins and Thabo Sefolosha (two each), Kevin Martin and Reggie Jackson (one each). Oklahoman

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Royce Young: KD: "I think last night after the game, I don't normally drink Gatorade, but I think I drank four or five Gatorades after the game." Twitter @dailythunder

Oklahoma City Thunder, Kevin Durant 

Royce Young: KD: "I love Kevin Martin. I love everything he stands for ... I would love for him to do whatever he feels is right for himself." Twitter @dailythunder

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