Kevin Durant’s Grandma, Barbara Davis, Dies Ahead of NBA All-Star Game

His mother Wanda announced the devastating news on Sunday afternoon.
Kevin Durant’s Grandma, Barbara Davis, Dies Ahead of NBA All-Star Game
Kevin Durant’s Grandma, Barbara Davis, Dies Ahead of NBA All-Star Game /
In this story:

Kevin Durant will not attend the NBA’s 75th anniversary team ceremony at the 2022 All-Star Game on Sunday night after his grandmother, Barbara Davis, died on Sunday morning.

Wanda Durant, Kevin’s mother, announced the tragic news in an Instagram post on Sunday afternoon.

“It is with great sadness that we share with family and friends that our Dear Sweet Mama, BARBARA A. Davis, transitioned early this morning,” Wanda Durant wrote. “Words can not describe how our family feels doing this time. We want to thank everyone for their prayers, condolences, and well wishes. God is GOOD and His PEACE comforts all of us.”

Durant will not be on hand in Cleveland when the league honors the rest of NBA’s 75 greatest players of all-time, according to The Athletic‘s Shams Charania. Many current and former players will be present during Sunday’s showcase and will be recognized at halftime.

Durant had already announced that he wasn‘t planning to play in this year’s All-Star game after he suffered a sprained MCL in his left knee in January. The 33-year-old hasn‘t played in over a month and his exact return date remains unclear.

Coverage of the 2022 NBA All-Star Game begins on TNT at 8 p.m. ET.


Published
Zach Koons
ZACH KOONS

Zach Koons is a programming editor at Sports Illustrated who frequently writes about Formula One. He joined SI as a breaking/trending news writer in February 2022 before joining the programming team in 2023. Koons previously worked at The Spun and interned for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He currently hosts the "Bleav in Northwestern" podcast and received a bachelor's in journalism from Northwestern University.