Actress takes on ‘heroic journey’ of NBA star Kevin Durant’s mom

Veteran actress Cassandra Freeman hopes to score a slam-dunk with her portrayal of Wanda Pratt — the mother of NBA superstar Kevin Durant and the subject of the upcoming Lifetime movie “The Real MVP: The Wanda Durant Story.”

All About Kevin Durant's Mom Wanda Durant

Kevin Durant, the star power forward for the Oklahoma City Thunder, famously thanked Wanda in 2014 when he won the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award — calling her “The real MVP” in his acceptance speech.

Durant’s speech went viral, amassing over 800,000 online hits, and also caught the interest of Queen Latifah, who produced “The Real MVP.”

“When I saw Kevin’s MVP speech I was like, ‘Here we go, another athlete speech,’ so I didn’t expect anything,” says Freeman. “But the connection that he had with his mother was so authentic. Who didn’t tear up?

Kevin Durant and his mother Wanda | Kevin durant, Kevin durant mom, Sports illustrated kids

“To see an athlete of that stature be so vulnerable was so genuine,” she says. “I loved that he said she is ‘The real MVP’ — that was life-changing.”

Wanda, who’s now a motivational speaker, worked for the post office in Washington, DC to make ends meet after her husband, Wayne, left the family. “The Real MVP,” portrays the mom — who had two children by the age of 21 — and her grueling daily routine of getting home from work in time to feed the kids breakfast and sending them off to school.

Wanda’s mother, Barbara Davis (Pauletta Washington), chipped in and helped to raise the family.

Wanda’s love, attention and sacrifices for her family paid off: Not only did Kevin thrive — he played basketball at the University of Texas before being drafted by Seattle (now Oklahoma City) in 2007 — but his brother, Tony, earned a college basketball scholarship.

“What attracted me to this film is that it is really a mother’s heroic journey of raising two babies by herself,” says Freeman. “She had her first child at 18. She was a struggling mother who wanted to raise successful kids despite the odds.”

(Wayne Durant re-entered the family’s life when Kevin was a teenager.)

Freeman also cites a turning point in Kevin Durant’s life: When his first basketball coach, Charles Craig, was gunned down at the age of 35 (the number Kevin wears on his jersey to honor Craig).

“Kevin starting playing [basketball] at the community center when he was like 7 years old and from that time, until he was around 17, he had this coach in his life,” she says.

“This movie is so universal because it tells about the significance of having family, faith and community to support you and your dream.” Freeman also says she found a lot to like about Wanda — and that they bonded upon meeting.

“I spent a day with Wanda and she said [that] from the moment she saw me, she liked my style,” she says. “She felt like I had a sense of joy, like her. Wanda feels everything. She is one of those people who cannot lie. You can see in her face how she feels about things — and I found that to be a fun challenge.”

Related Posts

SHOCKING NEWS: Revealed 911 call reveals 7-year-old girl begging her father not to kill her: ‘I don’t want to go to heaven’…see more

Charles Alexander, 43, took his non-custodial daughter and led police on a chase as she begged him not to kill her, police records show A 911 call between an armed…

Read more

SHOCK: Whoopi Goldberg was terminated from replacing Candace Owens with a $25 million contract with ABC. Whoopi Goldberg’s subsequent reaction made everyone wonder…see more

In a groundbreaking move that has Hollywood and morning television abuzz, conservative firebrand Candace Owens has signed a $25 million deal with ABC to host a new morning show, effectively…

Read more

BREAKING: A TikToker who had been missing for 10 days was found dead in a Georgia forest by his family. When discovered, the body appeared to be completely decomposed. The initial cause of death is believed to be a wild animal…see more

A TikToker who had been missing for 10 days has been found dead in a wooded area by his family in Georgia.  The Clayton County Police Department told local media…

Read more

SHOCKING NEWS: Actor Julien Arnold suddenly passed away while performing Christmas Carol. The initial cause was determined to be due to…see more

Veteran and beloved theatre artist Julien Arnold has died after suffering a medical emergency while performing onstage at Edmonton’s Citadel Theatre.  The 60-year-old Canadian stage actor was playing the roles…

Read more

SAD NEWS: Julien Arnold, a beloved Canadian stage actor, has died after suffering a medical emergency while performing in ‘A Christmas Carol’. The cause of death is believed to be…see more

Julien Arnold, a beloved stage actor in Canada, died after experiencing a medical emergency while performing in A Christmas Carol. His death occurred during an evening performance of the stage production…

Read more

BREAKING NEWS: After an extensive investigation, Florida officials have recovered dozens of gold coins worth more than $1 million that were stolen from a shipwreck nine years ago. Officials had to…see more

After an extensive investigation, Florida officials recovered dozens of gold coins valued at more than $1 million that were stolen from a shipwreck recovery nine years ago. The Florida Fish…

Read more

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *