Kevin Durant has made headlines not just for his exceptional skills on the basketball court but also for an unexpected financial windfall stemming from a long-forgotten Bitcoin investment. The Houston Rockets star recently regained access to a Coinbase account that he initially set up back in 2016, during his tenure with the Golden State Warriors. At that time, Bitcoin was trading at a mere $650, and Durant, along with his business partner Rich Kleiman, decided to invest $10,000 after hearing discussions about cryptocurrency among teammates during the Rio Olympics.
Fast forward to today, that initial investment has skyrocketed in value, now estimated at around $1.8 million, thanks to Bitcoin’s staggering growth of over 11,000 percent since Durant’s initial purchase, as reported by CoinDesk. This remarkable increase has transformed what was once a small experiment into one of Durant’s most lucrative financial decisions.
However, the journey to reclaim this fortune was not straightforward. Durant lost access to the account shortly after making the investment, and for years, he and Kleiman struggled to reset the password. Ironically, Durant’s venture capital firm, Thirty Five Ventures, invested in Coinbase just a year later in 2017, highlighting his ongoing interest in the cryptocurrency space.
Recently, Durant’s team confirmed that the account has finally been unlocked. While Coinbase verified the news, they did not disclose the specific amount of Bitcoin held in the account. Kleiman admitted that the issue was due to “user error,” while Coinbase emphasized that password recovery tools have always been available to users.
The delay in accessing the account might have turned out to be a blessing in disguise. With no ability to sell, Durant held onto his Bitcoin through the market’s volatility, witnessing its rise to an all-time high of nearly $69,000 in 2021, followed by a significant drop in 2022. As of 2025, Bitcoin has rebounded above $60,000, according to Bloomberg.
Durant is no stranger to making astute financial moves. He has invested in various tech companies, including Postmates, Acorns, and SeatGeek, and has developed his media platform, Boardroom, into a significant brand, solidifying his status as one of the most influential figures in the NBA off the court. Forbes ranked him among the world’s top 10 highest-paid athletes in 2025.
For a player with two NBA championships, an MVP award, and a reputation as one of the game’s most prolific scorers, this unexpected crypto gain serves as a reminder that Kevin Durant knows how to play the long game—both on and off the court—even if he occasionally forgets the password.