OKLAHOMA CITY — The shot went up and the celebration
began.
Kevin Durant, the star forward for the Oklahoma City Thunder, hit another big
shot — this time coming in the first game of the NBA playoffs for a win against
the Dallas Mavericks.
But Durant didn't celebrate.
"It's only Game 1, man," he said. "It's too early for all
that."
Maybe for him it is. But for his mom it isn't.
The Thunder play inside Chesapeake Energy Arena, but for Durant's mother, it's
a bash with a basketball court as the backdrop. For Wanda Pratt, the 'Peake is
a Jock Jams with a Club MTV twist. If there's music playing, she's up and out
of her seat.
"Kevin isn't called ‘Smooth’ for nothing," Pratt said. "He might
have some moves, but that came from his momma."
Durant's moves are best-appreciated between the lines. He led the NBA in
scoring once again and has led the Thunder to a 2-0 series lead against the
Mavericks, a season after leading Oklahoma City to the Western Conference Finals.
His game winner against Dallas in the April 28 opener had everyone wanting to
dance.
"I was about to dance with her," Thunder coach Scott Brooks said.
"That would have been a sight. I have no skills."
Pratt does, and they are often on display.
"She always has a move or two to bring out," said Durant, who admits
he's seen a step or two during games since Pratt sits courtside, right across
from the Thunder bench. "I need to check out and see if she has anything
new this season."
Regularly captured on the big screen during home games, Pratt has never been
shy about cutting it up during timeouts and having a good time throughout. She
even said Brooks asked if she was going to do any more dancing during the game.
"I'd say she gets into the spirit of things," said Bill Dutcher, who
sits next to Pratt at home games.
That spirit was seen in the closing seconds of the win against Dallas when
Durant's shot bounced off the rim, hit the backboard and then went in for the
victory.
"When it bounced in, it was time to dance," she said, despite the
fact she's never really needed an excuse to start the party before, something
Durant says he's known about his mom for a long time.
"She has to," Durant said. "That's her job. Win or lose she's
got to dance. She taught me all my moves and I could never tell her to
stop."
Been that way a long time, too.
"Where do you think she got those moves from?" asked Barbara
Davis," Durant's grandmother and Pratt's mother. "She got those from
her momma. The music comes on, you rejoice. You celebrate."
There's been plenty of that lately for the Thunder. They were the NBA's best
team for most of the season and now are expected to make another deep run into
the playoffs.
Of course Durant celebrated after his game-winning shot. He was happy, but he
didn't dance. ... But he just might.
"I won't have to make him," Pratt said. "He'll be out here
dancing with me."
For now, Durant said he going to leave the moves to mom. Bombarded with
questions about his team, its playoff future and this bounce or that, Durant
stopped and smiled when given the chance to talk about Pratt.
"If his momma's happy, he's happy," Davis said. "Kevin has
always been that way."
