AUSTIN (KXAN) — The I-35 Series is getting a little extra juice next season.
The NBA released its league-wide schedule Thursday with the San Antonio Spurs playing back-to-back nights Feb. 20-21 in Austin at Moody Center. The opening night will feature a familiar face for Texas Longhorns fans — Kevin Durant.
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Durant and the Phoenix Suns will kick off the Thursday-Friday duo of games against the Spurs at 8:30 p.m., Feb. 20. The Spurs turn around and play the Detroit Pistons at 7:30 p.m., Feb. 21 to conclude the series.
Durant played one season with the Longhorns and it definitely wasn’t in the state-of-the-art palace like Moody Center. Durant won the 2007 Naismith Player of the Year award, becoming the first-ever true freshman to win a national player of the award, and led the Longhorns to the second round of the NCAA tournament.
Durant became the first U.S. basketball player to win four Olympic gold medals after the Americans beat France 98-87 on Aug. 10 in Paris.
Tickets for the games go on sale to the general public at 10 a.m. Friday.
The Spurs begin the 2024-25 season on the road Oct. 24 against Dallas then host the Houston Rockets in their home opener Oct. 26.