Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong confirmed that NBA star Kevin Durant recovered access to his account on the exchange. The news became public after Durant’s agent Rich Kleiman mentioned at the CNBC Game Plan conference in Los Angeles that the player had been unable to log in to the account he opened almost a decade ago.
Since 2021, the 36-year-old Durant, who will play for the Houston Rockets in the new season, has worked with Coinbase as an ambassador. Both he and Kleiman have also been investors in the company since 2017 through their fund 35V.
In a statement provided to Coinbase, Kleiman clarified that they worked together with the exchange’s team to restore the account. According to him, it was indeed a “user error,” and the process was transparent from the start. He added that their partnership with Coinbase has lasted nearly 10 years and that the exchange has played an important role in the growth of their business.
First Experience With Crypto
Durant bought his first bitcoin in late 2016, shortly after a birthday party hosted by Ben Horowitz, co-founder of the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz. The party included many conversations about cryptocurrency, and the very next day Kleiman and Durant began investing.
At that time, Durant had just joined the Golden State Warriors, where he soon won a championship title. According to Kleiman, after the party he said: “Kevin, I heard the word bitcoin 25 times that night,” which prompted them to make their first investments.
Back then, bitcoin cost around $600. Now, according to CoinGecko, it is trading at $117,100. The growth over the last five years has exceeded 950%.
Basketball Players In The Crypto Industry
Durant, the seventh-highest scorer in NBA history, has become one of the most prominent athletes supporting investments in bitcoin and digital assets.
Among other players is Cleveland Cavaliers center Tristan Thompson, who runs a crypto podcast and recently launched a Web3 project on the Somnia blockchain aimed at expanding fan engagement with the league.
Charlotte Hornets guard Spencer Dinwiddie was introduced to bitcoin 12 years ago. In 2019, he attempted to tokenize his contract, but the league did not approve the initiative.
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