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NBA icon Kevin Durant has reclaimed access to a treasure trove of Bitcoin he scooped up nearly a decade ago, turning a forgotten Coinbase password into a multimillion-dollar payday. The Houston Rockets forward, who first dipped into crypto during his Golden State Warriors glory days, regained control of his dormant account on September 18, 2025, after years of user-error lockout—proving HODLing can pay off spectacularly.
The saga surfaced at CNBC’s Game Plan conference when Durant’s business partner and agent, Rich Kleiman, quipped about their predicament to laughs from the crowd. “We’ve yet to be able to track down his Coinbase account info, so we’ve never sold anything, and this bitcoin is just through the roof,” Kleiman revealed, crediting a post-birthday chat with venture capitalist Ben Horowitz for sparking Durant’s 2016 buys at around $600-$1,000 per coin. With Bitcoin now soaring past $116,000, a modest $10,000 investment could net over 15 BTC—worth $1.8 million today, up 11,000%.
Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong confirmed the fix via X, tweeting, “We got this fixed. Account recovery complete!” The exchange, a longtime Durant ally through his Thirty Five Ventures’ 2017 investment and 2021 promotional deal, assisted seamlessly despite the self-inflicted snag. Kleiman noted they’ve collaborated directly with Coinbase’s 24/7 support, underscoring the platform’s recovery tools for password resets.
This isn’t Durant’s first crypto rodeo—he’s promoted digital assets via Boardroom and backed Coinbase early. Yet, the episode spotlights everyday pitfalls: lost credentials, absent 2FA, or unsecured seeds. Experts urge hardware wallets and backups to dodge such drama.
For celebs like Durant, whose endorsement sways masses, it’s a bullish tale amid Bitcoin’s bull run. As crypto mainstreams, his unlocked haul reminds investors: Security slips can accidentally yield fortunes, but vigilance is key. With no sales in sight, Durant’s stack could climb higher—watch this space.
