What Hillsong’s Carl Lentz Taught Kevin Durant About God

Though the Thunder lost to Steph Curry’s Golden Sate in the most recent game, Oklahoma City Star Kevin Durant still scores.  

In an interview with GQ, the basketball phenom opened up about his relationship with God: 

He rejects his nickname, the Slim Reaper, as ungodly. He’s not here to be the guy of, “I guess, death,” as he once said. Grew up in full fear of God, in fact. He was raised to think: “If I do something wrong, I’m going to hell.” Then he met Carl Lentz, who ministers to Justin Bieber and sometimes leads prayers before Knicks games. Carl taught him God was about love. Before, “I felt like I had to follow the Ten Commandments. But we don’t live by that no more. We live by the blood of Jesus. That’s how I feel.” 

“Slim Reaper” first made the rounds in early 2014, according to several reports. But the nickname rubbed Durant the wrong way.  

“I’m here to shine a bright light. I’m not here to be a guy of, I guess, death. We’ll see what happens with that, but I just like KD better,” Durant said. “Everybody’s been loving the name. I think I’m the only one that really doesn’t like it too much.” 

That same year, he also gave Jesus the credit for his victories and said the Savior was the Lord of his game. 

Durant and Lentz go back a few years, as Lentz was a source of constant encouragement for Durant, among other players.  

According to Bleacher Report, Lentz himself was a college basketball player, which is perhaps why he connects with athletes as well as musicians.  

“He’s definitely relatable,” Durant said of Lentz. “He came to me as a friend first, and I can say that he genuinely cares. We just grew from there, and then our relationship as far as being attached to the church. I went to church growing up, but I didn’t really pay attention, honestly. I knew the basics. I just wanted to learn more and grow as a man, and he taught me a lot about the Bible and learning from God.” 

Lentz even baptized Durant in 2013.  

“I sometimes react off the moment instead of relaxing and taking a few days. He’s always there, sending me encouraging texts. It’s [about] realizing what’s most important in life and that everything can be worse, and realizing who you are at the moment and enjoying it. I think that’s the biggest lesson from him.”