Kevin Durant credits Pastor Carl Lentz of Hillsong New York City for teaching him that God is all about love, freeing his mind from the shackles of fear that once kept him in the dark spiritually.
In a recent interview with GQ magazine, the 27-year-old star forward of the Oklahoma City Thunder said he grew up in full fear of God and was raised to think that "If I do something wrong, I'm going to hell."
Then he bumped into Lentz, and his life was never the same again.
Before, "I felt like I had to follow the Ten Commandments," Durant said. But then Lentz taught him that "we don't live by that no more" and that "we live by the blood of Jesus," Charisma News quoted him as saying.
Now, Durant gives credit to God for every game his team has won, saying that Jesus was the Lord of his game.
Durant said Lentz—who also ministers to Canadian pop star Justin Bieber—has been a source of constant encouragement for him as well as other fellow NBA players.
"He's definitely relatable," Durant said of Lentz, who was also a basketball player in his college days. "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 baptised Durant in 2013, an event witnessed by his grandmother and mother.
The NBA star said that proved to be the turning point in his life.
"When I came out of the water, I just felt different. Basketball is so important to me and I carry that emotion with me all of the time, and before that [being baptised] I would be so mad at the smallest things [at my] my coaches, my teammates, my fans. After that, I was just so positive. Showing God [and] His grace," Durant told Hillsong Church, according to Christian Post.
Durant said Lentz has always been there for him.
"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] realising what's most important in life and that everything can be worse, and realising who you are at the moment and enjoying it. I think that's the biggest lesson from him."
Durant said despite the fact that Lentz ministers in New York while he plays for Oklahoma City, the wide distance has not deterred him from getting close to the Hillsong pastor.
He said this is because of the way Lentz treated people and the fact that the pastor is unfazed by his celebrity status.
"I thought you were weird first of all," Durant said of Lentz. "Where I come from pastors are always in nice suits but you just dress like me. I really appreciate it."
During the NBA offseason in 2014, Durant lent a hand to the popular Hillsong pastor and even accompanied him on a trip to Montana.
