Kevin Durant gives gear to Detroit 13-year-old who had KD7s stolen
People take their kicks very seriously. Back in early November, 13-year-old Anthony Cupp learned that the hard way in Warren, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit.
Cupp, whose mother is undergoing therapy to remove a tumor, had worked hard to buy a pair of KD7s - the signature Nike shoe of Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant. Ahead of his eighth grade team's basketball season, Cupp had his shoes stolen by an older kid on his walk home.
After the local news picked up the story, the Detroit Pistons invited the Cupp family to Sunday's game against the Thunder, letting Durant and the team know about what had happened. Before the game, Durant met with Cupp, giving him a replacement pair of KD7s, a signed pair of Durant's own shoes, a KD brand jacket and a backpack.
"He was real nervous," Durant said of Cupp during the encounter. "Same thing I would have been if I met my favorite NBA player back then ... We got such a big platform, man, and kids look up to us. To set a good example, we just have to show them that we're human, too."
Durant and his Thunder teammates then went out and defeated the Pistons 96-94, scoring 28 points with Cupp watching on as honorary ball-boy.
(Photo Courtesy: The Oklahoman)