<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?><oembed><version><![CDATA[1.0]]></version><provider_name><![CDATA[GameUP24]]></provider_name><provider_url><![CDATA[https://gameup24.wordpress.com]]></provider_url><author_name><![CDATA[William A.]]></author_name><author_url><![CDATA[https://gameup24.wordpress.com/author/louzwate/]]></author_url><title><![CDATA[NBA Star Kevin Durant Played Xbox for Two Days Straight After Picking Golden&nbsp;State]]></title><type><![CDATA[link]]></type><html><![CDATA[<div><img src='https://i0.wp.com/static.gamespot.com/uploads/screen_medium/1551/15511094/3096871-durant.jpg' style='max-width:600px;' /></p>
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<p>After ex-Oklahoma City Thunder player Kevin Durant made his choice to go to the Golden State Warriors, the team that had just set a regular season record for wins and houses a two-time reigning MVP, he was pelted by criticism. To avoid it, he stayed in his house and played Xbox for two days straight.</p>
<p><a rel="nofollow" href="http://ift.tt/29XitK3">USA Today</a> reports that Durant didn&#8217;t go outside because he wanted to &quot;be around family and positive support.&quot;</p>
<figure><a href="http://ift.tt/29LpCLe"><img alt="3096876-kevin-durant.jpg" src="http://ift.tt/29JXlIu"></a></figure>
<p>&quot;I didn&#8217;t leave my bed because I was like, &#8216;Man, if I walk outside somebody might just try to hit me with their car or say anything negative to me,&#8217;&quot; the basketball star said. Durant&#8217;s decision was followed by the aforementioned two days of Xbox with his younger brother, Rayvonne. It&#8217;s not clear what video game Durant played.</p>
<p>In 2010, Durant told <a rel="nofollow" href="http://ift.tt/29LpPOD">ESPN</a> that all he does &quot;is play video games.&quot; He was also supposed to be the first cover athlete for the cancelled NBA Elite series. </p>
<p>&quot;My mom used to tell me I play a little too much, but now that I&#8217;m on the cover, she&#8217;s out there buying my games,&quot; Durant said at the time.</p>
<p>&quot;I have a <a href="http://ift.tt/18k9JSv">360</a> and a <a href="http://ift.tt/1e8dI7B">PS3</a>, but I really play my 360 more than anything,&quot; Durant continued. &quot;I got my red controller and my black controller, and I&#8217;m always on the red. I go online all the time. I&#8217;m big into Madden. Last year, I used to just pick random teams, but this year it&#8217;s all about the Washington Redskins in the game.&quot;</p>
<p>Durant isn&#8217;t the first video gaming NBA player. Brooklyn Nets point guard <a href="http://ift.tt/1fGSv9Q">Jeremy Lin is an outspoken Dota 2 player</a> and Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward has said that, outside of basketball, <a href="http://ift.tt/2068nsY">gaming is his one true passion</a>. Hayward even <a href="http://ift.tt/1FLA7ft">defended video games against sports show host Colin Cowherd</a>.</p>
<p>Hayward <a href="http://ift.tt/20QxliK">wrote an article for The Player&#8217;s Tribune</a> earlier this year, talking about how gaming &quot;probably made [him] better&quot; at basketball. He also said that professional gamers train just as hard as pro athletes when pushing forward to master their craft.</p>
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<p><em>Source: <a style="text-decoration:none;" href="http://ift.tt/29RLFAJ">GameSpot</a></em></div>
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