NBA star Kevin Durant has successfully recovered his Coinbase account after being locked out for nearly a decade. Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong confirmed the account recovery on X, formerly known as Twitter. Durant's agent, Rich Kleiman, had previously mentioned the issue at the CNBC Game Plan conference in Los Angeles.
Durant's journey into cryptocurrency began in 2016 after attending a dinner with investor Ben Horowitz, where Bitcoin was a frequent topic of conversation. Intrigued, Durant invested in Bitcoin through Coinbase. However, he soon lost his login credentials, leaving the cryptocurrency inaccessible.
The timing of Durant's investment proved fortuitous. In 2016, Bitcoin traded between $360 and $1,000. As of September 2025, Bitcoin is valued at over $116,000, marking an increase of over 11,000%. Had Durant invested $10,000 in Bitcoin in 2016, it would be worth approximately $1.87 million today. Some sources estimate that Durant's Bitcoin holdings have grown 180-fold in value. One source even estimates a 195-fold return on his initial investment. While the exact amount of Durant's Bitcoin investment remains undisclosed, it has significantly increased in value.
Kleiman joked that Durant's inability to access his account had "only benefited" him, as he was unable to sell as the price increased. Kleiman also stated that recovering Durant's account had been in the works for a while and was due to "user error".
Durant's connection to Coinbase extends beyond being a user. His investment firm, Thirty Five Ventures, invested in Coinbase in 2017. Durant has also participated in Coinbase advertising and promotional campaigns.
While many celebrated Durant regaining access to his account, the situation has drawn criticism towards Coinbase. Some users have accused the exchange of giving preferential treatment to high-profile clients like Durant, while others have reported long delays and difficulties in recovering their own accounts. In response to the criticism, Armstrong reposted a thread from a customer support team leader outlining improvements being made to the customer support system.
Durant, a 15-time NBA All-Star, currently plays for the Houston Rockets. He has career earnings of over $447 million from his basketball career, along with millions more from endorsements and business ventures.
