The Washington Wizards have yet to acquire D.C.-area native Kevin Durant since he got drafted in 2007, but they did get a shooter inspired by him.
The Wizards drafted Texas guard Tre Johnson No. 6 overall in June, who played for the same college as the future Hall of Famer. Johnson told ClutchPoints on Monday's Media Day what he learned from watching him play over the years.
Tre Johnson told me that Kevin Durant influenced his game the most growing up. Watching KD helped him learn how to use his size and shoot over players.
Tre also mentioned that he’s impressed with how detailed Bub Carrington and Alex Sarr are about their craft. pic.twitter.com/gv9abhhIdi
— Joshua Valdez (@joshvaldez100) September 29, 2025
“Growing up, I kind of just watched Kevin Durant,” he revealed. “I was taller than everybody, thinking I was gonna be as tall as he was. I learned at a young age how to use my size, shoot over players. It's not the best thing, but…”
It's not as easy for the 6-foot-6 Johnson to shoot over defenders as it is for the 6-foot-11 Durant, but both of their games center around elite jumpshooting and contested shot-making. For example, Johnson led all freshmen in scoring last season, just as Durant did in the 2006-07 campaign.
Former Longhorns head coach Rodney Terry, who coached both players, also sees the similarities, via NBA.com.
“I got a chance to coach Kevin Durant for one year at Texas, and [Johnson] and Kevin have a lot of things that kind of come from the same cloth, in terms of incredible work ethic,” he said. “A guy that we have to literally push him out of the gym. … You put the scoreboard on, and he’s competing at another level.”
That work ethic yielded results for both players at the collegiate level. Durant was the consensus National Player of the Year after averaging 25.8 points on 47.3 percent shooting (40.4 percent 3-point) with 11.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists across 35.9 minutes, while Johnson earned SEC Freshman of the Year honors after averaging 19.9 points on 42.7 percent shooting (39.7 percent 3-point) with 3.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists over 34.7 minutes.
Those numbers highlight their size and positional differences, as the forward rebounded more while the guard was a better facilitator. However, they were similarly effective from the three-point line, which is something the Wizards need help with.
Washington was second-to-last in the NBA with a 33.5 percent clip from downtown in 2024-25, via NBA.com. Johnson won't fix that by himself, but getting a player who Terry compared to Durant will likely help.
Tre Johnson, Kevin Durant are all about hoops
On-court play style isn't the only commonality between Johnson and Durant. Like many successful players, they are also obsessed with the game of basketball.
Johnson admitted that he doesn't have other hobbies at the NBA Draft Combine in May, via Monumental Sports Network's Chase Hughes.
New Wizards guard Tre Johnson explained at the draft combine in May how he essentially has zero off-court interests or hobbies. He’s all hoop. pic.twitter.com/lmpX7XpufB
— Chase Hughes (@chasedcsports) June 26, 2025
“Everything I do is basketball-related. I just got a book, so I'm trying to expand a little bit into reading,” the Texas native said. “But everything is basketball-related unless I'm listening to music, on the phone with friends, or sleeping. That's about it.”
Durant described a similar dedication when discussing his mindset after tearing his Achillies tendon in the 2018-19 NBA Finals, via ESPN's Baxter Holmes.
“My whole being has been committed to playing basketball…And when I'm that committed to something, I didn't even think about anything else but, like, when are we starting recovery?” the two-time Finals MVP said. “As soon as it happened, everybody wanted to cry with me. I did that for a second, crying, because everybody else was crying, and then I'm like, ‘When are we doing surgery? When can I start my recovery process?' And that's how it was, man. I'm ready to get back, quick.”
Durant does have hobbies, as he showed when he took pictures as a credentialed photographer at Super Bowl 50, via The Players' Tribune. However, the 37-year-old lives and breathes basketball rather than seeing it as a job he's good at, similar to Johnson.
Sharing qualities with Durant doesn't guarantee success in the NBA for the rookie, but it doesn't hurt. Afer all, Durant is one of the greatest players of all time, and Washington hasn't had a star since John Wall in the 2010s.
Johnson showed promising signs in Summer League, scoring 39 points (14-25 FG, 5-11 3 PT) over two games before sustaining a hamstring injury that ended his campaign. The 19-year-old's 19.5-point average was the second-highest for a Wizards player in Summer League history behind Wall (23.5 points) in 2010, via Hughes.
The next step for Johnson is to sustain that production over a longer time period. The former second-team All-SEC selection's next chance to do so will be during the Wizards' three-game preseason slate, which starts on Oct. 12 against the Toronto Raptors.
Johnson will be used heavily on a rebuilding Washington team that is focused on developing young talent. The organization displayed that mentality last season, as Bub Carrington, Alex Sarr, and Kyshawn George finished first, third and sixth among rookies in minutes per game, via NBA.com.
Similar to those players, Johnson will also get reps without being under pressure for immediate results. There will be a learning curve as he adjusts to the best league in the world, but he's already shown glimpses of why he was the No. 6 overall pick.
