Zier Jackson never thought his dream job would end before it truly began. At nineteen, he had worked for three months as a junior equipment manager at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, home to world-class basketball players and fans who breathed the sport like air. Each morning, he flashed his employee badge at the glass entrance and felt the slow burn of pride in his chest. No more stocking shelves at the corner store—he was polishing basketballs for the pros.
But behind the shiny courts and bright lights, life weighed heavily on Zier. At home, he lived with his grandmother in a cramped apartment where the walls were thin and the prescriptions were expensive. Every paycheck helped buy her medicine, keep the lights on, and cover part of his night-school tuition for a sports management program. He never complained, though. This was the path he had chosen, guided by the memories of his late father, James Jackson.
James had been a beloved youth basketball coach who believed sports were not just about winning but about showing character. “Doing right is more important than doing easy,” he used to say, ruffling Zier’s hair after a tough practice. When Zier was fourteen, James and Zier’s mother died in a car accident, leaving Zier in the care of his grandmother. Ever since, his father’s words echoed in his mind: “Remember, son, the real magic in basketball and in life happens when you choose integrity—especially when no one’s watching.”
Late one afternoon, Zier and his best friend Marcus—also on the equipment staff—were tidying up for the day. Zier’s phone chimed with a text from his grandmother:
Baby, I took my medicine. Don’t worry; I’m fine. Love you.
Marcus read Zier’s worried expression. “She okay?”
“She says she is,” Zier replied, trying to hide his concern.
Just then, a trainer rushed in with news that Kevin Durant was arriving early for an unscheduled workout. Durant had recently tweaked his ankle, and everyone on the staff scrambled to make sure his practice went smoothly. Equipment had to be perfect. Towels folded. Balls inflated just right.
Zier hustled to double-check everything. Through the equipment room window, he saw Durant limping slightly as he walked onto the court. Although the trainer offered more tape, Durant insisted he was fine. But Zier, who had watched Durant’s highlights countless times, noticed the stiffness in his steps. With every layup, Durant winced a fraction, favoring his ankle.
An hour earlier, Zier had stumbled upon a brand-new pair of Durant’s signature practice shoes in the back storage area. They had been tagged for an upcoming charity event, meant to be donated to a local raffle. The rules were clear: no one was to use or give out merchandise set aside for special events. Violation could cost an employee their job.
Yet, as Zier watched Durant hobble, an echo of his father’s voice sounded in his head: “Integrity shows in the hardest moments.” Before he fully realized what he was doing, he dashed to grab those new shoes. Marcus, stunned, hissed, “Bro, are you crazy? You’ll get in trouble!”
Zier held his breath and hurried onto the court. Durant sat on the bench, gingerly untying the laces of his worn sneakers for the third time.
“Mr. Durant,” Zier said, heart pounding. “I—I have these for you. They should help with the ankle. Better cushioning.”
Durant glanced up, surprise flickering across his face. He looked at the box, then at Zier, then at the logo on the shoes. “Aren’t these for a charity thing?”
Zier swallowed hard. “They are, technically. But sometimes doing the right thing means bending the rules.”
Durant studied him for a moment. “What’s your name?”
“Zier Jackson.”
For a brief second, Durant’s expression seemed to shift—like the name meant more to him than Zier could guess. Then he nodded and accepted the shoes. “Thanks, Zier.”
Moments later, Durant tested them on the court. His steps were smoother, his face more relaxed. Whatever trouble Zier had just invited, it felt worth it—at least for the day.
That evening, after practice, Zier was called into his supervisor’s office. His stomach churned at the sight of the paused security footage on the supervisor’s computer screen—footage of him handing Durant the shoes.
“Do you understand why this is a problem?” his supervisor asked. The man’s voice wasn’t loud, but it carried a finality that made Zier’s heart pound.
“I just wanted to help,” Zier said softly. “He looked hurt.”
“The point is you gave away company property without authorization,” the supervisor stated. “We have a zero-tolerance policy. I’m sorry, son, but we’re letting you go.”
Fired. On the spot. Security escorted him out, past the courts he had dreamed of since he was a kid. With rent and hospital bills piling up, Zier felt his world collapse. He couldn’t meet his grandmother’s gaze when he got home, but he told her what happened.
“You did the right thing,” she assured him, coughing into her tissue. “Your father would be so proud.”
He tried to believe her.
The next morning, Zier woke up to his phone buzzing nonstop. Friends and strangers alike sent messages. A security leak had pushed the footage of Zier handing Durant the shoes onto social media. At first, he feared more humiliation. Instead, countless people chimed in:
“He shouldn’t have been fired for trying to help!”
“Rules are meant to serve people, not punish them for compassion.”
“Who’s going to stand up for Zier?”
Suddenly, #StandWithZier was trending. News reporters reached out, local channels replayed the clip, and sports analysts debated corporate policy versus moral judgment.
But Zier’s priorities were closer to home. His grandmother’s condition worsened, and without his job, he couldn’t afford the upcoming medication refill. As the internet roared about injustice, he sat by her side in the hospital, praying the insurance would still cover a portion of her care.
On the second day, his phone rang with a number he didn’t recognize. When he answered, a calm, steady voice said: “Zier, this is Kevin Durant. We need to talk.”
Zier’s heart stopped. Durant explained there was an important meeting at the local community center that afternoon, something about a youth basketball program. “Be there,” Durant said. “Trust me.”
Despite his desperation to stay with his grandmother, she insisted he go. “You can’t pass up the chance to set things right,” she whispered, breath raspy but determined.
Zier arrived at the center, only to find Durant waiting for him—and a familiar older gentleman named Coach Thompson. Before Zier could speak, his phone buzzed again. His neighbor was on the line, frantically explaining that his grandmother had collapsed. An ambulance was on its way.
He barely had time to stammer an apology before sprinting out. Durant called after him: “We’ll talk soon. Don’t worry about the bills. Focus on your grandmother!”
Zier spent the next two weeks in the hospital, watching over his grandmother. The medical expenses skyrocketed, and all the money he had saved from night classes was gone in an instant. But then, in a quiet hallway, a hospital admin approached Zier.
“Mr. Jackson,” the woman said, checking her clipboard, “all your grandmother’s outstanding bills have been settled. We’ve also been given direct instructions to keep her fully covered moving forward.”
Zier blinked. “Settled by who?”
She shrugged gently. “I’m just the messenger.”
That evening, Durant called again. “Meet me at the community center,” he repeated. “This time, you won’t have to leave.”
When Zier arrived, Durant stood by an old photo on the hallway wall. It showed a young Kevin Durant alongside a tall, smiling man in a coach’s jacket. The man was James Jackson—Zier’s father.
“My first coach,” Durant explained, voice soft with gratitude. “He believed in me long before I had a college scholarship or an NBA contract.”
Zier’s eyes welled with tears as Durant went on: “Your father always talked about integrity. About how the real test is whether you help people even when it might cost you. Your choice with those shoes proved you’re your father’s son.”
Coach Thompson stepped forward with a file of papers. “Your father helped me create a plan before he passed—a youth basketball initiative that would fund scholarships, mentor young players, and employ coaches with true heart. We’ve been waiting for the right person to lead it.”
Durant placed a gentle hand on Zier’s shoulder. “That person is you, Zier. We want you to direct the program, finish your degree on our scholarship, and build on your father’s legacy. Your grandmother’s care is part of that deal. No more worries.”
Tears blurred Zier’s vision. He thought of every sacrifice his grandmother had made, every Ramen noodle dinner they’d shared to stretch the budget, every word his father used to say about loyalty and compassion. It all led here.
The very next day, Zier signed on as Program Director of the new Durant-Jackson Youth Initiative. Surrounded by kids who reminded him of himself—hungry for hope and a chance—he felt his father’s spirit living in every dribble of the ball, every squeak of sneakers on polished floors.
Sometimes, doing the right thing costs everything. For Zier, it had cost his job, his pride, and days of fear. But in the end, the reward was far greater—a renewed purpose, his grandmother’s health secured, and a legacy he was born to carry forward.
Holding his father’s old whistle in one hand and a fresh basketball in the other, Zier led the kids in their first drill. He thought of the moment he chose to give Durant those shoes, risking everything for what he believed was right. As his father always said, “Integrity is doing the right thing, even when it costs you the most.”
For Zier Jackson, that choice changed his life forever—and sparked a legacy that would help hundreds of kids find not just their shot, but the kind of character that truly wins.
Kevin Durant’s Houses: Inside the Basketball Star’s Real Estate Portfolio
Photo: RvS.Media/Monika Majer/Getty Images
Kevin Durant’s houses reflect the fact that, 17 years into his professional NBA career, he has played for five teams, scattered throughout just about every region of the United States. Naturally, the basketball great has built up quite the real estate portfolio, scooping up luxury properties in cities like Seattle, Oklahoma City, San Francisco, New York, and Phoenix (where he currently plays as a member of the Suns), plus bonus dwellings to relax in during the off-season. Considering the Washington, DC, native is one of the world’s highest-paid athletes, it’s no surprise that his chosen properties are impressive. Read on to take a look at all of the places that the iconic athlete has called home.
Seattle starter home
Way back in 2007, a 19-year-old Durant began his professional career with the Seattle SuperSonics. He bought a roughly 6,000-square-foot home on Mercer Island for $2.85 million. Per the Mercer Island Reporter, it was just a few months later when the Sonics were sold and moved to Oklahoma City, becoming the Thunder. However, KD didn’t return the five-bedroom dwelling to the market until 2011, when he listed it for just under $3 million. It was another two years until the contemporary home finally sold for a discounted $2.4 million. According to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, the abode had five-and-a-half baths, a wet bar, a wine cellar, a home theater, and French doors spilling out to the backyard.
Oklahoma City compound
According to Realtor.com, Durant bought a $1.8 million home in a privately gated Oklahoma City neighborhood in 2011. The property encompassed a roughly 3,600-square-foot main home, a guesthouse spanning about 2,000 square feet, and a spacious pool deck in between with a swimming pool and spa sporting blue and white tiles. In total, the estate offered five bedrooms and four baths. The double-height living room featured a wood-burning fireplace and vaulted ceilings that emphasized the structure’s steeply pitched roof. The main home also hosted a sizable eat-in kitchen, which featured a black-and-white checkered floor and stainless steel counters. The guesthouse was complete with a slightly more modest (but still well-equipped) kitchen, plus a home theater.
The 14-time NBA All-Star first listed the property in 2013 for $1.95 million. Later that year, he sold off a portion of the property for $260,000, records show. The remaining plot went on and off the market a couple of times until finally selling in 2016 for $925,000.
Miami penthouse
In 2011, the basketball legend also put down roots in Miami with the roughly $1.8 million purchase of an ocean-view penthouse in the sunny city. The 3,500-square-foot condo had three bedrooms, five bathrooms, an open floor plan encased behind floor-to-ceiling glass, and a wraparound terrace offering panoramic views of the water and nearby man-made islands. “Durant installed speakers throughout the residence and designed the movie theater himself,” realtor Marko Gojanovic told Mansion Global. The theater in question features shag carpeting, soundproof walls, and leather recliners.
In 2015, the recent NBA MVP sold the residence for $3.15 million. The sky-high unit was most recently listed in May to rent for $15,000 a month.
Oklahoma City town houses
Around the time that he first listed his Oklahoma City estate in 2013, KD bought a pair of neighboring townhouses in the city’s Deep Deuce neighborhood. The athlete paid about $1.8 million for the two three-story brownstones, then combined them into a single dwelling, according to Realtor.com.
In total, the renovated abode spanned 7,257 square feet, with six bedrooms and nine bathrooms. One town house was designed as private living quarters, and the second with entertaining in mind. A billiard room, theater, and a spacious sauna were among the property’s luxe offerings.
In 2016, he retired his Thunder jersey and signed to the San Francisco Golden State Warriors. Before leaving town, Durant listed his remodeled town houses for $1.5 million—a steep discount, considering he invested a reported $3 million in renovations. According to the listing, the neighboring structures ultimately sold for $1.1 million in 2017.
Oakland contemporary home
While helping the Warriors win championships in both 2017 and 2018, Durant rented a 9,000-square-foot mansion in Oakland, California, according to Realtor.com. Per listing history, it appears that the basketball star paid $13,000 a month for the hilltop home, which boasted sprawling views of the Bay Area through its floor-to-ceiling windows. The lavish residence had seven bedrooms, seven bathrooms, a theater, and a curving staircase.
Durant reportedly moved on from the contemporary-style adobe in 2019, when he signed with the Brooklyn Nets. In 2020, the estate listed for just under $6 million.
Malibu mansion
In 2018, Durant rectified the fact that he did not have a Malibu beach house with the purchase of a $12.05 million waterfront property in the wealthy California enclave, per Mansion Global. The roughly 5,100-square-foot contemporary-style home had four bedrooms, six bathrooms, a media room, a gym, and a library. Throughout, ocean-view decks and walls of glass took full advantage of the scenic locale. The baller sold the dreamy dwelling in 2019 for $12.15 million.
Manhattan apartment
After signing on to the Nets, Durant was naturally in need of an NYC pad. Few details about this residence are publicly known, but Forbes reported in 2022 that the four-time Olympic gold medalist was living in a “sleek and infinitely long apartment” overlooking the High Line in Manhattan. Durant reportedly equipped the home with a blue velvet couch, gym equipment, and an office filled with his extensive trophy selection (though his two championship rings apparently live in the bedroom). It’s unclear if this home was a rental or if he purchased it.
KD was traded to his current team, the Phoenix Suns, in 2023. He’s kept a low profile when it comes to his Arizona home, but presumably wherever he stays in the Grand Canyon State is similarly impressive to the rest of his portfolio.
Hidden Hills estate
In 2021, The Real Deal reported that Durant paid a whopping $15.6 million for a spec mansion in LA’s Hidden Hills neighborhood in an off-market deal. Not a lot is publicly known about the property, but it is reportedly a 10,000-square-foot modern farmhouse on a 1.8-acre plot at the end of a gated cul-de-sac.
The iconic sportsman seemed to give a sneak peek at the home’s pool deck on Instagram in 2022. A neon E$ sign on the white brick wall in the background is a compelling indication that the pictured property belongs to KD, who is also known by the nickname Easy Money Sniper. A well-equipped barbecue area, a fire pit, a balcony, and a blue-tiled swimming pool can be seen in the photo.
