Kevin Durant tells the real story behind viral bush photo

Nairavoice | Aug 27, 2026 1h ago 280 0 2 min read

86ffe79ebcc4e630c7e43ad82aeedf55 Kevin Durant tells the real story behind viral bush photo

Kevin Durant tells the real story behind viral bush photo originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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On the evening of June 2, Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant left Nobu Malibu with an unidentified woman. The Daily Mail first reported the outing, describing the two-time NBA champion standing near a tall shrub outside the restaurant before the woman emerged and the pair left together in the same car.

Days later, Backgrid’s images started making the rounds on social media, prompting every major platform to poke fun at a nearly seven-foot athlete trying and failing to disappear behind foliage. The story quickly went viral, racking up millions of views across fan accounts. Throughout the offseason, “KD hiding in a bush” became a running internet meme.

Now, months later, the 6-foot-11 NBA star is setting the record straight, calling the popular media narrative completely false. Durant addressed it directly in a Thursday appearance on Boardroom Talks with Speedy Morman, and he pushed back on the idea that he was ducking the cameras at all.

“You thought I was hiding behind a bush? This is insane,” Durant said. “Why would I hide behind a bush?”

He gave a much simpler explanation for the photo that started the meme, adding, “It made sense, it looked like I was, and then the headline was just crazy. But I don’t need to hide, no. I was coming out of Nobu, and it’s like this tall grassy fence or whatever. I’m coming out just like everybody else.”

Still, Durant’s response didn’t reveal who the woman was. The Daily Mail never named her, and Durant didn’t mention her at all. But his comments do put an end to the rumor that he was hiding.

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Now, KD is focusing on his second season with the Rockets. Last year, he averaged 26 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4.8 assists. But his season ended early in the playoffs due to an ankle injury, which limited him to just one game against the Los Angeles Lakers.