Kevin Durant Q&A: Warriors star explains genesis of his new KD 12 shoe

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Kevin Durant is a brand.

With an endorsement portfolio that includes Nike, Alaska Airlines and American Family Insurance, and his production company Thirty-Five Media, the Warriors star has become of the richest athletes in the world.

Over the last few months, Durant has attempted to expand that, unveiling an ESPN show, "The Boardroom," aimed at bridging the gap between athletes and business. He'll also use that influence in the coming weeks to promote his latest sneaker: The KD 12 from Nike.

The shoe, which will be released April 1, is designed by Leo Chang, with the intention to service players with quick guard-like movements. Throughout his career, Durant has opted for comfort over style when it comes to his sneaker choice.

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Last season, Durant, known to wear the same shoe for months straight, wore the KD 10 throughout the playoffs despite Nike marketing the KD 11 because of his comfort preferences. This prompted the brand to give his newest shoe a worn-in feeling.

Hours before Saturday night's Warriors-Thunder game, Durant talked with NBC Sports Bay Area about the shoe, partnering with designer Don C and even going through YouTube rabbit holes.

Q: How does it feel just to have your 12th shoe? Not a lot of people have that. Especially at Nike.

KD: It's a blessing in itself, man. As a young basketball player, you think that [you'll] have their own shoe, be in the NBA making a lot of money for your family. That stuff comes with the dream, so it actually accomplishes more. Being my 12th one is definitely a blessing.

Seems like this shoe looks like a cousin of the Nike Adapt. What went into the thinking of the design for you?

I wouldn't say it was the Nike Adapt. I mean, maybe the aesthetic, maybe the first colorway, the way the Nike sign looks, it looks just like an Adapt. But definitely material is different -- it's different technology.

In my shoe, I wanted more, so a shoe guys my size that move around like me could really wear. I usually make shoes for guys that try to fit into a guard frame [but] we're 6-9, 6-8.

Now I feel as like we made a shoe for guys that are 6-9 and up. They can move like me -- well, not like me, but move like a guard. ... We're starting to see more and more players like that. You know? Hopefully, people wear them in the games.

I mean, it's always about what happens on the court. I tried to wear Jordans and before college and different shoes that just may look good off the floor. But they don't really work well for me on the court, so the most important thing is how I play on the floor. 'Cause that's, like I said, it's the most important.

You worked with Don C on this, yeah?

Not particularly on this model, but he had some input on the direction of the colorways. But I think the next shoe, he's gonna be a little bit more involved. We'll see. He just advises a little bit.

What made you enlist him to work on the shoe?

Don is one of those guys that's in the culture who really has a vision for ... a vision and gap between what we've seen growing up in basketball and the new generation today. ... Around that Jordan Air culture when it comes to basketball, growing up in Chicago, knowing the influence about the Jordan. He also knows that fashion world as well and what kids like.

Don already is just a solid person. Somebody that has no agenda but to push the culture forward and create things that inspire him and inspire others. And I just wanted that energy around me, for one.

And on top of that, he's a master at what he does. He has a huge basketball influence, and all his apparel -- no matter if it's for Nike or Michigan, Nas or Bate. He always uses a basketball-inspired theme when it comes to his stuff.

Knowing you, I know that you are the definition of how culture comes to basketball. Whether it's like music, new shoes or whatever. How are you putting that gap together?

Well, I just wanted to show people that stuff that I listen to, and that inspired me as I cook up. You know what I'm saying? I listen to a lot of music while I work out. I watch a lot of interviews or artists that I enjoy and get to know them on a personal level through their social medias.

And that inspires me to go out there and be more of an artist out on the floor. Stretch the limits of my creativity out there, so I'm very much inspired by artists new and old. Especially the newer younger generation. Because they're testing the limits on their creativity, so I get inspired by just about everybody who I listen to or who I watch.

Is there someone that you just cold-call when you have a bit of inspiration? Just for like in that other field? I know you're cool with a lot of people. Is there someone that you like to get that type of inspiration?

I know how people like their personal space, so I really like to admire from afar. Lately, I've been watching a lot of [hip-hop producers] 808 Mafia, Southside, him in the process of making his beats.

And I've been on YouTube the last four or five nights just watching him. And his level of focus and the way he pushes his boundaries on music is something that I always inspire to be out on the basketball court. It feels like as he's making a beat, he's figuring out different sounds and different ways to make it unique.

And I feel like a lot of players have that same type of mentality when they cook up. I thought it'd be cool to add in a music element to my shoe line.

Does art give you solace?

For sure. You know, it's a place where you can definitely be 100 percent yourself. Express yourself in different ways. You can pull inspiration from others, to help you with your craft as well. I feel like, like I said, I always try to use art and artists as people who go through journeys to get where they are to help me get through mine as well.

There are only four or five Nike athletes. Is there a healthy competition? You see LeBron's shoe, are you like, 'Yo, I gotta get mine cooking.' How does that work?

No no, not at all. I respect every one of these guys for what they do, obviously, but it's hard to become a signature athlete and to have multiple shoes. To, I have 12 -- I mean I can't be comparing myself to a guy that only has two or three anyway.

It's a few, but it's just like, man, it's so many guys that play ball that want their own shoe. You kno,w I can't be competing with four or five guys. We're in an elite class of one-percenters in the NBA, so it's like you just might as well stick together and support each other.

You know, I support Kyrie's line. I have plenty of Kyrie's. I support Bron's line, I have plenty of those. When [Paul George] dropped his first joints, I was first to ask for them, and I would love to play with them. You know what I'm saying? Just to show that support with the Nike fam, 'cause you got Adidas, you got Under Armour, you got Puma now, you got so many guys trying to strong-arm their way into the business. I feel like you know it's a small group of us, but we might as well stick together.

Last question. I see you, and I'm highly jealous because you get stuff fed to you [by Nike]. Like you get stuff like rare kicks for your size. How dope is that for you to get the [Off-White "The Ten" collection] when they come out?

Yeah, it's good 'cause it took some time. So I wear a 17 off the court. And at Nike, I mean they never had nobody that wanna wear all of that stuff in my size. It took me a couple years, and I feel like I've been fighting for the guys with the big feet.

When it comes to opening those molds, you have to open a mold -- they can't just open one pair to get one pair for me. They gotta open a whole mold, so that takes a long time. Especially with the factories in China, so forth. Off whites to these Nike Reacts, to Cortez's that you got on.

I feel like Nike, man, they always wanna look out for their athletes. Whether it's getting compensated, give them shoes, give them a signature line. But also from the smaller side of stuff, just making sure we fit up with some Nike gear. Especially big-feet guys like me, which is hard to get. Definitely grateful for the partnership.