Q&A with Wanda Durant, the story of an MVP’s mom

2:13 PM ET

It was an MVP speech for the ages … and Hollywood.

Soon after Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant called his mother, Wanda Durant, “the real MVP” during his moving acceptance speech in 2014, executives from Lifetime pitched her about making a movie based on her life.

Produced by actress and musician Queen Latifah, the movie will air during Mother’s Day weekend, debuting Saturday at 8 p.m. ET on Lifetime.

“It’s still just unreal to me,” Wanda Durant said of the movie. “I never thought this gift would be possible for me. I never considered it, I didn’t know it was available. I’m grateful and I’m humbled because this story is such a common story. I’m blessed and I pray that I do honor to all the single moms and mothers in general, just having that chance to tell the story of motherhood, and I’m just grateful for that opportunity.”

Durant chatted with ESPN about the movie, raising her famous son, his upcoming free agency and his relationship with Russell Westbrook:

Kevin Durant proudly embraces all that his mother, Wanda, has done for him. Layne Murdoch/NBAE/Getty Images

ESPN: When Kevin said in his MVP speech, “You made us tough,” that’s not just a line; you were actually out there coaching him. What kinds of things did you do?

Wanda Durant: He would have workouts with his coach. I would come in after work and the coach would require him to do maybe 25 sprints, 25 layups and I would just come in with ease and say, “No, I think you need to do 75.” Now, I’m thinking about it and I’m like, “Wow.” I came in like he hadn’t done anything else, like he just started the workout and I said it like it was no problem. But sometimes I’m like, “Wow, I may have been a little bit cruel.” But it was the part of the foundation of his work ethic.

ESPN: Kevin has said that he thought about quitting basketball a few times growing up. Why?

Wanda Durant: I think it was because he was pushing so hard. There was a lot that was asked of him. We talked about it and I said, “OK, you can quit, but you have to finish out the season. And after that, you can quit, but you’re going to have to do something else.” And so I suggested that he take piano lessons.

That was a requirement. [My sons] had to do something outside of the home [or] school. There had to be an activity. If it wasn’t going to be basketball, it had to be something. So, once he found out it was piano, he decided he was going to stick with basketball.

ESPN: You worked two jobs when Kevin and [Durant’s other son] Tony …

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