Kevin Durant aka the Slim Reaper is what you’d call an absurdity. Standing at 6ft 10″, many believe he is almost 7ft tall, he is capable of moving like a point guard. From his pull-up jumper to the way he drives, everything about his game drips of excellence. After years and years of performing at the highest level, we have pretty much taken him for granted. But there was a time when the entire NBA community was left speechless by his prowess. It was the only time he won the MVP award. But that day is remembered more for his heartwarming dedication to his mother Wanda Durant than the greatest individual achievement of his career.

2013-14 is likely the magnum opus of Durant’s regular season career. Nothing compares to the thrill an NBA star feels for being awarded the most prestigious award. Naturally, it can make them emotional, often bringing out their deepest emotions. In Durant’s case, the overwhelming feeling of being named the most valuable only brought the gratitude he had for his mother to the surface.

On this day 9 years ago, Kevin Durant thanked his mother Wanda after winning the MVP award

In 2014, Durant delivered one of the most memorable speeches from an MVP winner. In his heartfelt declaration, the Phoenix Suns star credited his mother for all his achievements.

KD announced to the world all that Wanda Durant had done for him. He thanked her for all the sacrifices and difficulties she faced just to ensure her son reached his potential.

Durant confessed that Wanda had managed to put food on his plate even when she had nothing to eat. He remembered the nights his mother went to sleep hungry and thanked her for keeping them off the streets.

In his 2014 MVP acceptance speech, posted on the NBA’s youtube page, Durant said: “The odds were stacked against us. Single parent with two boys by the time you were 21 years old. We wasn’t supposed to be here. You made us believe. You kept us off the street. Put clothes on our backs, food on the table. When you didn’t eat, you made sure we ate. You went to sleep hungry. You sacrificed for us. You the real MVP.”

Mama Durant has time and again won over the hearts of NBA fans

Mama Durant is an adorable human being. She wears her heart on her sleeve and empathizes with the struggles children face on a daily basis. A motivational speaker, Wanda, drawing from her own experiences, works to help at-risk youth fulfill their potential.

Wanda runs the Durant Family Foundation which focuses on helping children from low-income backgrounds achieve their dreams through ‘educational, athletic, and social programs.’ For a woman who ensured her two sons were fed even if she had to go hungry, her work with DFF only cements her identity as a true social warrior.