Phoenix Suns superstar Kevin Durant was just knocking down jumpers during an open practice Saturday afternoon at Arizona State University’s Mullett Arena.
Later, he was in Austin, Texas for a college football game that’s two time zones ahead.
Durant made the trip to check out his No. 1 ranked Texas Longhorns take on No. 5-ranked Georgia Bulldogs at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium in what is the biggest college football game of the 2024 season to date.
Looks like Suns starting five took flight in Devin Booker, Bradley Beal, Tyus Jones, Jusuf Nurkic and Durant along with Suns security.
The Bulldogs won, 30-15, but how could Durant, the college basketball national player of the year in his one-and-done season at Texas in 2006-07, and teammates make it on time for a 6:49 p.m. Central time kickoff?
Hmmmm. Let’s see.
The practice ended around 1:30 p.m. Phoenix time. That’s 3:30 Central, giving Durant three hours and 19 minutes to arrive at the stadium for the kickoff.
He signed autographs for fans after the practice real quick. From there, he showers, gets dressed, but there was traffic on the street right outside the arena.
The drive from Mullett Arena to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is around 10 minutes (4.5 miles) without traffic. So let’s say Durant arrives at the airport at 2 p.m. That’s 4 p.m. Central.
Remember, 6:49 kickoff.
He’s flying private, not commercial. Flight time is two hours and 15 minutes give or take five to 10 minutes.
That puts Durant in Austin at say 4:15 p.m. Phoenix time, 6:15 p.m. Central.
The Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is about 10 miles from DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium. Durant probably has a driver waiting at the airport.
The Longhorns take very good care of Durant. He only played college ball one year there, but is beyond beloved in Austin.
With this being such a mega game, let’s assume there’s some traffic jams along the way and it takes him 30 minutes to make it to the stadium. Plus the Circuit of The Americas is having events in Austin this weekend.
That would put Durant at the game at 4:45 p.m. Phoenix time, 6:45 p.m. Central, right before kickoff. Probably takes him five minutes or so to enter the stadium as he’s watching the game from the field.
OK. That’s cutting it close. It’s certainly possible, but that’s also without any major hiccups like heavier traffic.
Maybe the driver shows up late at the Austin airport or Durant engaged in back-and-forth banter with Suns teammates saying Georgia is going to upset Texas in the locker room before leaving Mullett Arena.
Either way, Durant makes it to Austin just hours after an open practice at ASU for Bulldogs-Longhorns.
The Suns are taking off Sunday. So Durant and company doesn’t have to rush back to Phoenix.
Wow.