Durant Takes One lucky Family Shopping
Mar 13 2010 9:21PM
Kevin Durant is no stranger to heroic feats, whether it's a buzzer-beating running dunk or draining an 18-foot jump shot. The Thunder forward knows the joys of putting the ball in the basket.
But he also knows the joys of putting milk in the basket -- provided the basket is of the grocery variety, and the milk happens to be for someone who really needs it.
Durant is the latest Thunder player this season to help treat a much-deserving family to a Homeland shopping spree. Courtesy of Homeland Stores, the $1,000 shopping excursions come about by the Thunder working with the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma and the Oklahoma City Metro Salvation Army to select recipient families.
On a Saturday afternoon, Durant strolled down the grocery aisles of a Homeland in northwest Oklahoma City, helping fill two shopping carts for Rosaline Harley, a 25-year-old woman who has legal custody of her six nephews and nieces. She is the sole provider for the children, who range in age from 8 to 8 months.
Durant chatted with the children about basketball, food and music, while filling the carts with everything from Fruit Loops to laundry detergent. Eight-month-old Kenya sat in one of the carts. Six-year-old Shavonne held on to the side of the other and let Durant give her a ride. For his part, the NBA star tried to interest the girl and her siblings in something besides candy.
"All they were going after was junk food," Durant said later, grinning. "That's something I remember when I was growing up. All I wanted was junk food, too. It was pretty funny."
At the produce section, Durant asked Trevion, age 8, if he could identify a particularly strange-looking vegetable. The boy eventually got it right: acorn squash. Harley placed one in the cart, next to oranges and a carton of eggs.
Harley said later she was touched by the experience.
"It's a blessing," she said. "It's very uplifting that there are people out there that help these families."
Durant said he was grateful for the opportunity to help out.
"I think we're all blessed, and to come out here is very humbling," he said.
"This family, with everything they're going through, they're keeping their heads up. I can tell they're all upbeat, and that's great. I haven't seen two carts of groceries in a while. It was good. They got everything they needed, and we had fun while doing it."
But he also knows the joys of putting milk in the basket -- provided the basket is of the grocery variety, and the milk happens to be for someone who really needs it.
Durant is the latest Thunder player this season to help treat a much-deserving family to a Homeland shopping spree. Courtesy of Homeland Stores, the $1,000 shopping excursions come about by the Thunder working with the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma and the Oklahoma City Metro Salvation Army to select recipient families.
On a Saturday afternoon, Durant strolled down the grocery aisles of a Homeland in northwest Oklahoma City, helping fill two shopping carts for Rosaline Harley, a 25-year-old woman who has legal custody of her six nephews and nieces. She is the sole provider for the children, who range in age from 8 to 8 months.
Durant chatted with the children about basketball, food and music, while filling the carts with everything from Fruit Loops to laundry detergent. Eight-month-old Kenya sat in one of the carts. Six-year-old Shavonne held on to the side of the other and let Durant give her a ride. For his part, the NBA star tried to interest the girl and her siblings in something besides candy.
"All they were going after was junk food," Durant said later, grinning. "That's something I remember when I was growing up. All I wanted was junk food, too. It was pretty funny."
At the produce section, Durant asked Trevion, age 8, if he could identify a particularly strange-looking vegetable. The boy eventually got it right: acorn squash. Harley placed one in the cart, next to oranges and a carton of eggs.
Harley said later she was touched by the experience.
"It's a blessing," she said. "It's very uplifting that there are people out there that help these families."
Durant said he was grateful for the opportunity to help out.
"I think we're all blessed, and to come out here is very humbling," he said.
"This family, with everything they're going through, they're keeping their heads up. I can tell they're all upbeat, and that's great. I haven't seen two carts of groceries in a while. It was good. They got everything they needed, and we had fun while doing it."
