http://www.yardbarker.com/nba/teams/oklahoma_city_thunder/85 Recent articles about Oklahoma City Thunder en-us Could we be witnessing another “Love & Basketball” type relationship with the Oklahoma City Thunder? We already know Russell Westbrook and his girlfriend Nina met in college when they were both playing for UCLA. Now it looks like Kevin Durant and Minnesota Linx guard Monica Wright might be joining them. The two basketball stars have been friends awhile. Our 2013 version of “Q and Monica” met in 2006 during the McDonalds All-American high school game. Monica has been out to OKC this season to watch her buddy play and just last week, KD was courtside to catch her in preseason action with the Linx. The two haven’t quite announced their relationship yet but I’m told it’s not a secret. I guess we’ll have to wait this one out. In the meantime, when asked about her “friendship with KD recently, Monica said it’s mostly about basketball: “A lot of it has to do with basketball, that’s how we’ve known each other. But he’s helped me, coached me. He’s actually a type of player I want to Sat, 25 May 2013 13:00:24 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/nba/article_external/love_amp_basketball_is_kevin_durant_dating_wnba_lynx_star_monica_wright/13693097 http://network.yardbarker.com/nba/article_external/love_amp_basketball_is_kevin_durant_dating_wnba_lynx_star_monica_wright/13693097 Love & Basketball: is Kevin Durant dating WNBA Lynx star Monica Wright? http://www.yardbarker.com/nba/articles/love_amp_basketball_is_kevin_durant_dating_wnba_lynx_star_monica_wright/13693097 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/b/e/bec7e51f68cf85ae52236e3b581c0786837b3f35/mini/6878950.jpg Fri, 24 May 2013 09:00:19 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/nba/article_external/kevin_durant_teams_up_with_nike_for_oklahoma_relief/13685702 http://network.yardbarker.com/nba/article_external/kevin_durant_teams_up_with_nike_for_oklahoma_relief/13685702 Durant, Nike team for tornado relief http://www.yardbarker.com/nba/articles/kevin_durant_teams_up_with_nike_for_oklahoma_relief/13685702 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/e/9/e90121126351fc346e88d64bbd4a60bd618fe609/mini/durant.jpg Previously on That NBA Lottery Pick, we featured a story that Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant might have a misspelled word on his back tattoo. Below is the original photo that shows the misspelling of the word “mature”: Well, Kevin Durant must have seen the Twitter comments/blogsphere posts about the error and had the “mature” spelling mistake fixed by his tattoo artist. Below is a photo that Durant posted to his Instagram account showing the correction: *** Kevin Durant tattoo might not have a misspelled word in it after all [Deadspin] Thu, 23 May 2013 16:21:40 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/nba/article_external/kevin_durants_had_his_back_tattoo_spelling_mistake_fixed/13681403 http://network.yardbarker.com/nba/article_external/kevin_durants_had_his_back_tattoo_spelling_mistake_fixed/13681403 Kevin Durant’s had his back tattoo spelling mistake fixed http://www.yardbarker.com/nba/articles/kevin_durants_had_his_back_tattoo_spelling_mistake_fixed/13681403 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/a/f/af2aec232db2546679103b9b875a931fcf856e4a/mini/6925832.jpg There are few people in this world like Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant and this story just shows how much of a class act that he is. After donating nearly 1 million dollars to the American Red Cross regarding the deadly Oklahoma tornados, KD decided to go out on his own to meet with the victims: Durant graciously giving a young lady a pair of autographed shoes twitter.com/DarnellMayberr… — Darnell Mayberry (@DarnellMayberry) May 22, 2013 Kevin Durant with friends, family and a member of the Red Cross and search and rescue team twitter.com/DarnellMayberr… — Darnell Mayberry (@DarnellMayberry) May 22, 2013   Stay classy, Kevin Durant! *** Durant meets with tornado victims [USA Today] Thu, 23 May 2013 13:54:23 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/kevin_durant_visits_victims_of_the_oklahoma_tornadoes/13680176 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/kevin_durant_visits_victims_of_the_oklahoma_tornadoes/13680176 Kevin Durant visits victims of the Oklahoma tornadoes http://www.yardbarker.com/all_sports/articles/kevin_durant_visits_victims_of_the_oklahoma_tornadoes/13680176 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/b/f/bf7c7356309898e4939737541a629d40cdd5c31b/mini/tcu-oklahoma.jpg On Wednesday, speculation was rampant on the Internet that photos posted by Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Kevin Durant  to his Instagram account of the finishing touches to his massive back tattoo appeared to reveal that a Bible verse tattooed on his back contained a misspelled word. Durant, perhaps sensing a disturbance in the force that [...]The post Kevin Durant posts evidence proving tattoo word isn’t misspelled in tattoo (pic) appeared first on Sportress of Blogitude. Thu, 23 May 2013 11:25:34 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/nba/article_external/kevin_durant_posts_evidence_proving_word_isnt_misspelled_in_tattoo_pic/13678937 http://network.yardbarker.com/nba/article_external/kevin_durant_posts_evidence_proving_word_isnt_misspelled_in_tattoo_pic/13678937 Kevin Durant posts evidence proving word isn’t misspelled in tattoo (pic) http://www.yardbarker.com/nba/articles/kevin_durant_posts_evidence_proving_word_isnt_misspelled_in_tattoo_pic/13678937 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/b/f/bf7c7356309898e4939737541a629d40cdd5c31b/mini/tcu-oklahoma.jpg A week ago, it seemed Kevin Durant's image was headed for an all-time low after he went 5 for 21 in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals, a game that brought to an end his Oklahoma City Thunder's season. But in the wake of Monday's tragic tornado in Moore, Okla., Durant led the charge of financial support, pledging $1 million to aid victims . And with critics still barking about his performance on the court, the superstar responded in a very unique -- but very NBA -- way. See for yourself. He posted a photo of the tattoo to his Instagram account on Tuesday , with the caption, "All done...James 1:2-4...look it up." The tattoo appears to feature a portrait of Jesus adjacent to a bible verse, with an angel holding a basketball overlooking Jesus and the numbers 3 and 5 (he wears 35) flanking Jesus and the verse. And after taking some heat for apparently having a misspelling in the verse , he even had fun with that, posting another image of the text accompanied by the caption, &qu Thu, 23 May 2013 04:31:57 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/durants_ink_shows_whos_got_his_back/13676954 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/durants_ink_shows_whos_got_his_back/13676954 Durant's ink shows who's got his back http://www.yardbarker.com/all_sports/articles/durants_ink_shows_whos_got_his_back/13676954 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/7/0/706d74cd8d7cac729f940c967bfea1ed4c1b32fe/mini/6787102.jpg Some people talk the talk, and others walk the walk. Kevin Durant does both, and he does each with class. Durant graciously donated $1,000,000 recently in relief to victims of the awful tornado which ripped through Oklahoma earlier this week. Instead of just signing the check and moving on, Durant took time today to visit with those who are rebuilding their houses and lives in Moore. Darnell Mayberry who is an OKC beat writer, passed along photos of KD lifting the tornado victim’s spirits. The images are breathtaking and it is a wonderful gesture for Kevin to do what he can to bring a little joy to a tragic situation. Article found on: Next Impulse Sports Wed, 22 May 2013 19:32:02 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/nba/article_external/kevin_durant_met_with_victims_of_the_tornado_devastation_in_oklahoma/13674538 http://network.yardbarker.com/nba/article_external/kevin_durant_met_with_victims_of_the_tornado_devastation_in_oklahoma/13674538 Kevin Durant met with tornado victims http://www.yardbarker.com/nba/articles/kevin_durant_met_with_victims_of_the_tornado_devastation_in_oklahoma/13674538 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/a/2/a22abecf2b8d12e41409cc48fa6d3d375e995a46/mini/durant.jpg Hobbled by his surgically repaired torn meniscus, Russell Westbrook was just another Oklahoma City resident affected by this week’s deadly tornadoes. The Thunder guard surveyed the damage from his crutches, most likely as shocked and speechless as the rest of us. Check out Westbrook taking it all in in the photo below. Photo via Twitter/@MySportsLegion Wed, 22 May 2013 16:09:26 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/nba/article_external/crutches_bound_russell_westbrook_surveys_moore_oklahoma_tornado_damage_photo/13673410 http://network.yardbarker.com/nba/article_external/crutches_bound_russell_westbrook_surveys_moore_oklahoma_tornado_damage_photo/13673410 Crutches-Bound Russell Westbrook Surveys Moore, Oklahoma Tornado Damage (Photo) http://www.yardbarker.com/nba/articles/crutches_bound_russell_westbrook_surveys_moore_oklahoma_tornado_damage_photo/13673410 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/b/0/b0b39f396e88aaf0b312fb4b2382958127a68a9f/mini/PicImg_Thunder_vs_Lakers_a4c1.jpg Kevin Durant tweeted on Tuesday that he was finishing his massive back tattoo, which you can see the “before” picture of here. As the new photo above shows, it appears the artwork is finished. That may be a problem. The latest addition to Durant’s masterpiece includes a bible verse, which Ball Don’t Lie identified as James 1:2-4: “Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides,” the passage reads. “You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.” Perhaps we are misreading the fancy font, but it certainly looks like the word “mature” is spelled “mautre” in the last line the photo Durant posted shows. Durant seems to take his tattoos quite seriously, so he can’t be happy if that is indeed a spelling error. We have seen tattoo type-O’s in the past, but they are Wed, 22 May 2013 14:22:32 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/nba/article_external/does_kevin_durants_new_back_tattoo_have_a_spelling_error_picture/13672486 http://network.yardbarker.com/nba/article_external/does_kevin_durants_new_back_tattoo_have_a_spelling_error_picture/13672486 Is there a 'typo' in Kevin Durant's new tattoo? http://www.yardbarker.com/nba/articles/does_kevin_durants_new_back_tattoo_have_a_spelling_error_picture/13672486 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/e/e/eee9031f75d16979c7a0474b66c74f086994c559/mini/Kevin-Durant-back-tattoo1-530x529.jpg It’s safe to say Kevin Durant likes tattoos. The Thunder star recently finished his back tattoo and sent out a picture of the masterpiece on Statigram. The artwork features a giant portrait of what appears to be Jesus next to a bible verse. Above that is an angel flying while carrying what looks like a basketball. Flanking the angel are two hands — one holding up a “three” and the other holding up a “five” to represent his No. 35. Uploaded with the photo was the caption “All done…James 1:2-4…look it up.” Check it out below. Photo via Statigram Wed, 22 May 2013 13:36:46 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/kevin_durants_giant_back_tattoo_features_jesus_an_angel_a_bible_verse_and_more_photo/13671994 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/kevin_durants_giant_back_tattoo_features_jesus_an_angel_a_bible_verse_and_more_photo/13671994 Kevin Durant’s Giant Back Tattoo Features Jesus, an Angel, a Bible Verse and More (Photo) http://www.yardbarker.com/all_sports/articles/kevin_durants_giant_back_tattoo_features_jesus_an_angel_a_bible_verse_and_more_photo/13671994 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/1/3/13437a5be3913534c9b67bbccbc49c95df60e667/mini/6858536.jpg On the heels of the announcement that Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Kevin Durant pledged to donate $1 million to the Red Cross to assist in relief efforts in the aftermath of the tragic tornado that tore through the region on Monday, news surfaced that the Thunder organization responded in kind on Tuesday as well, [...]The post Russell Westbrook, Thunder players visit young tornado victims in hospital (video) appeared first on Sportress of Blogitude. Wed, 22 May 2013 12:40:46 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/nba/article_external/russell_westbrook_thunder_players_visit_young_tornado_victims_in_hospital_video/13671520 http://network.yardbarker.com/nba/article_external/russell_westbrook_thunder_players_visit_young_tornado_victims_in_hospital_video/13671520 Russell Westbrook visits tornado victims in hospital http://www.yardbarker.com/nba/articles/russell_westbrook_thunder_players_visit_young_tornado_victims_in_hospital_video/13671520 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/f/c/fc598fc19678f037f249653ef89b7faf1f24b8d4/mini/russell-westbrook.jpg Those who have never seen Kevin Durant without a basketball jersey on would probably be surprised to see how many tattoos he has. The Oklahoma City Thunder star is loaded with ink. Durant’s tattoos are mostly on his chest and back, so they can’t be seen while he’s on the court. A couple of years ago we showed you some of his tattoos and the explanations behind them, and it appears he is not done adding to the designs just yet. Durant got a back tattoo that said “Maryland” across his shoulders with a religious figure underneath it nearly two years ago. You can see an image of the original tattoo here. On Monday, Durant wrote on Instagram that he is “finishing my back piece” and shared the photo you see above. It looks like he has added a portrait of Jesus since our last update. The important thing is he continues to keep it classy, which isn’t a surprise. As long as he doesn’t get any terrifying back tattoos like this, fans have nothing to worry about. Tue, 21 May 2013 17:11:29 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/nba/article_external/kevin_durant_is_finishing_his_back_tattoo_picture/13665634 http://network.yardbarker.com/nba/article_external/kevin_durant_is_finishing_his_back_tattoo_picture/13665634 Kevin Durant is finishing his back tattoo (Picture) http://www.yardbarker.com/nba/articles/kevin_durant_is_finishing_his_back_tattoo_picture/13665634 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/b/9/b9e55b94fb94971702367cf6253967522c4e5e41/mini/6864464.jpg The Oklahoma City Thunder are giving $1 million for tornado relief, matching a $1 million pledge by star player Kevin Durant. The Thunder announced Tuesday that they'll give $1 million to the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army and other disaster relief organizations helping after Monday's disaster in suburban Oklahoma City. Earlier in the day, Durant pledged $1 million to the Red Cross from his Durant Family Foundation intended to match other donations and be an incentive for more people to give. Red Cross' regional CEO Janienne Bella said the organization was thankful for Durant's ''generosity.'' The Red Cross is accepting $10 pledges from people who text ''REDCROSS'' to 90999. People can also donate at the organization's website. On Monday, Durant sent a message to his 4.1 million Twitter followers with Red Cross donation information. Hal Smith on behalf of @ kdtrey5 delivers the Kevin Durant Family Foundation $1 million gift. Thanks KD. #oklahoma Tue, 21 May 2013 14:58:02 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/nba/article_external/durant_donates_1m_for_tornado_relief/13664434 http://network.yardbarker.com/nba/article_external/durant_donates_1m_for_tornado_relief/13664434 Durant donates $1M for tornado relief http://www.yardbarker.com/nba/articles/durant_donates_1m_for_tornado_relief/13664434 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/6/6/6690b5f72c8eb8a2ed107c2276246c03c495a42a/mini/6860938.jpg Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant is pledging $1 million for tornado relief through his family foundation. The American Red Cross announced Tuesday that the gift from The Durant Family Foundation is meant to match other donations and be an incentive for more people to give. Red Cross' regional CEO Janienne Bella said the organization was thankful for Durant's ''generosity.'' The Red Cross is accepting $10 pledges from people who text ''REDCROSS'' to 90999. People can also donate at the organization's website. On Monday, Durant sent a message to his 4.1 million Twitter followers with Red Cross donation information. --- Online: www.redcross.org Tue, 21 May 2013 13:31:17 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/nba/article_external/thunder_star_kevin_durant_makes_1m_tornado_pledge/13663762 http://network.yardbarker.com/nba/article_external/thunder_star_kevin_durant_makes_1m_tornado_pledge/13663762 Thunder star Kevin Durant makes $1M tornado pledge http://www.yardbarker.com/nba/articles/thunder_star_kevin_durant_makes_1m_tornado_pledge/13663762 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/b/e/bec7e51f68cf85ae52236e3b581c0786837b3f35/mini/6878950.jpg OK, yeah, athletes make gobs and gobs of money, especially superstar NBA players. It's difficult for regular schmoes to contextualize what, say, 10,000 means to somebody like, say, Kevin Durant. So how about 1 million? According to a CBS report, that's how much Durant donated to the Red Cross to help victims of the tornado that on Monday ransacked Moore, Okla. A million. Durant is in the middle of an 86 million contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder, and of course there is all the endorsement money. So, yeah, he can afford it. But still: 1 million. That's not throwaway money. That's a sacrifice. Tue, 21 May 2013 13:00:09 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/nba/article_external/report_kevin_durant_donates_1_million_to_tornado_relief/13663495 http://network.yardbarker.com/nba/article_external/report_kevin_durant_donates_1_million_to_tornado_relief/13663495 Report: Kevin Durant donates 1 million to tornado relief http://www.yardbarker.com/nba/articles/report_kevin_durant_donates_1_million_to_tornado_relief/13663495 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/0/1/01faa775ea4681cb47c7facccd922495d5a51b95/mini/lakers.jpg In a true show of benevolent humanitarianism, Kevin Durant has donated a whopping $1 million to the Oklahoma tornado relief effort. Tue, 21 May 2013 12:45:41 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/nba/article_external/kevin_durant_donates_1_million_to_oklahoma_tornado_relief_fund/13663390 http://network.yardbarker.com/nba/article_external/kevin_durant_donates_1_million_to_oklahoma_tornado_relief_fund/13663390 Durant donates $1M for tornado relief http://www.yardbarker.com/nba/articles/kevin_durant_donates_1_million_to_oklahoma_tornado_relief_fund/13663390 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/4/5/451de0fd8000defc83280bc750ec1ae82e2c89b9/mini/durant.jpg A mile-wide tornado touched down and tore Moore, Oklahoma to shreds. Kevin Durant and a number of superstars tweeted their support for the victims. Mon, 20 May 2013 19:23:15 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/nba/article_external/prayforoklahoma_kevin_durant_athletes_react_to_chilling_oklahoma_tornado/13658887 http://network.yardbarker.com/nba/article_external/prayforoklahoma_kevin_durant_athletes_react_to_chilling_oklahoma_tornado/13658887 Athletes react on Twitter to Oklahoma tornado http://www.yardbarker.com/nba/articles/prayforoklahoma_kevin_durant_athletes_react_to_chilling_oklahoma_tornado/13658887 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/c/8/c8da0e79dce78b1c6882413dca4de395315387cb/mini/YB-OKCThunder.jpg The Oklahoma City Thunder are experiencing the NBA equivalent of First World Problems these days, as they could realistically field a team of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Serge Ibaka, a smattering of minimum vets, and still make the Western Conference Finals every year (barring injuries, of course). However, one person definitely not helping in any potential deep playoff run is Kendrick Perkins, the seven-foot thorn in the side of OKC fans (and people who just enjoy watching basketball, in general) who just logged the worst playoff performance in the history of everything. There has been lots of chatter since last off-season about what the Thunder should do with their ineffective big man, and, after a 4-1 exit at the hands of the Memphis Grizzlies this past week, the “A” word quickly rose to the top of the solution pile again. Alas, according to Darnell Mayberry, Thunder general manager Sam Presti has no such plans to amnesty their much-maligned center: #bbpBox_33579131382178201... Sat, 18 May 2013 16:25:06 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/nba/article_external/sam_presti_wont_amnesty_kendrick_perkins_cites_his_value/13646152 http://network.yardbarker.com/nba/article_external/sam_presti_wont_amnesty_kendrick_perkins_cites_his_value/13646152 Presti: Thunder not amnestying Perk http://www.yardbarker.com/nba/articles/sam_presti_wont_amnesty_kendrick_perkins_cites_his_value/13646152 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/8/4/844f6bc6f3eff9a2a9b29090a3ab3f88a24a30d7/mini/jp.jpg One of the biggest stars in music today is aggravated with a certain NBA playoff team choosing to play his music to pump up their home fans.  Seattle based rapper Macklemore was informed by a Twitter follower that the Oklahoma City Thunder was playing his latest hit, "Can't Hold Us", to excite the home fans in the arena.  Macklemore's response was less than enthusiastic... RT @coug123: So apparently the OKC blunder are using @macklemore 'Can't hold us' as a song to hype up the crowd in their arena — Macklemore (@macklemore) May 13, 2013 The song is a huge hit, just reaching #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.  It has over 25 million views on YouTube.  It's got a rhythm that would surely make it a crowd favorite in arenas and stadiums around the country - maybe not on the level of Seven Nation Army, but we're dying for some new stadium tracks.  And I'm sure Macklemore would love to hear it being played all around the country... just not fo... Mon, 13 May 2013 15:46:37 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/nba/article_external/macklemore_does_not_want_his_music_pumping_up_the_thunder/13608200 http://network.yardbarker.com/nba/article_external/macklemore_does_not_want_his_music_pumping_up_the_thunder/13608200 Rapper: OKC can't use my music http://www.yardbarker.com/nba/articles/macklemore_does_not_want_his_music_pumping_up_the_thunder/13608200 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/b/3/b35ff0d459b1c0b574bdb83d846c12357656a21d/mini/165117522.jpg Thu, 09 May 2013 16:20:13 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/nba/article_external/chunky_cheerleader_kelsey_williams_defends_herself_i_am_a_size_4/13585700 http://network.yardbarker.com/nba/article_external/chunky_cheerleader_kelsey_williams_defends_herself_i_am_a_size_4/13585700 Cheerleader called 'chunky' defends herself http://www.yardbarker.com/nba/articles/chunky_cheerleader_kelsey_williams_defends_herself_i_am_a_size_4/13585700 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/8/3/836b8ad579159f7edc01c06fa06372be492fc9eb/mini/Kelsey-Williams-cheerleader-640x356.jpg