A viral moment occurred on Monday night when a photo of Kevin Durant and Rhyne Howard surfaced on social media
In the picture, the Atlanta Dream guard shared a close-up selfie with the Phoenix Suns star, where Durant seemed to rest his head on her shoulder.
Are Kevin Durant and Rhyne Howard dating as Instagram story photo goes viral
Rhyne Howard took the sweetest photo with KD 😭 pic.twitter.com/7Db0eaCcYQ
— Chel (@chel_talksports) October 17, 2023
In response to the photo, Howard, the 2022 WNBA Rookie of the Year, wrote, “Oh hey,” accompanied by a smiling face emoji with red hearts. Durant, aged 35, also shared the same photo on his Instagram Story.
It seemed to have been taken after the Phoenix Suns’ 117-116 victory over the Blazers at Footprint Center, where 23-year-old Howard was in attendance. She also posted a picture of herself in the stands at the game.
Picture Sparked Relationship Buzz
The photo sparked curiosity and speculation among fans, with some wondering if Durant and Howard might be in a romantic relationship. However, both athletes have remained silent on the matter. It’s entirely possible that their close connection is simply based on their longstanding friendship, as they have known each other for some time.
Notably, Durant has been a vocal supporter of the WNBA and women’s sports in general. In the past, Howard had shared a photo with Durant, where he had his arm around her shoulder, and she had jokingly referred to herself as “Ya favorite player’s favorite player.”
Durant & Howard Relationships Explored
Howard explained that she reached out to Durant because she had learned that she was one of his favorite players. They met at a game, chatted a bit, and ended up taking the now-famous picture together.
Howard even tried to convince Durant to make a TikTok video with her, but he was too tired at the time.
She shared that she had recently texted Durant, jokingly suggesting that she might have to replace her Nets jersey with a Suns jersey. Durant responded with laughter, indicating his interest in attending some of her games.
As for her NBA preferences, Howard humorously mentioned that she would “100 percent” marry Durant’s former Warriors teammate, Klay Thompson, who happens to be her favorite NBA player.
On the court, Durant had a strong performance, scoring 19 points, with four assists and three rebounds, in just 15 minutes of action on Monday night.
Howard, coming off a successful season with the Atlanta Dream, averaged 17.5 points per game. Unfortunately, the Dream’s season came to an end in the first round of the playoffs against the Dallas Wings.
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