Kevin Durant has been ruled out of the All-Star weekend this year due to an injury. As fans wrap their heads around this news, many rushed back in time to celebrate Durant’s All-Star glory. The earliest memory of Durant from the highly celebrated All-Star weekend stems from his rookie season. The two-time finals MVP starred in a rookie-sophomore game, bagged 46 points and left the NBA Community impressed. However, there was one other memorable segment that Durant starred in.

In 2009, NBA on TNT introduced a H-O-R-S-E competition as a part of the weekend. This contest took place at an outdoor setup at the Block Party area in Phoenix. All members of Inside the NBA were present to host this event.

Kevin Durant won the 2009 H-O-R-S-E contest and to receive an underwhelming reward

The players who took part in this event were Kevin Durant, O.J. Mayo, and Joe Johnson. The rules were simple. Every time a player missed scoring a basket, he would get a letter. The player would be eliminated if he had all the letters of the word in play.

As per a report on ESPN, shots like a dunks were ruled out while each player had 24 seconds to complete their round. Durant had a sluggish start to the contest. He bagged four letters of the word quickly. OJ Mayo and Joe Johnson started brilliantly but were soon met with hurdles.

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Following this, Durant caught rhythm with his shooting and eventually won the contest. The NBA Star’s triumph received heaps of praise from Kenny Smith, a two-time NBA Champion. As the celebrations continued, the reward given to Durant left Smith and the fans upset.

For his triumph, the two-time NBA Champion received a toy horse, presented to him by Ernie Johnson. Johnson said, “This is what the fans all want to see.” Kenny Smith weighed in with his opinion and said, “Are we that cheap right now?” Following this, Durant raised the toy horse package and thanked the fans with a sly smile on his face.

The cheers of fans barely reached the ears of many. They were left in disbelief by the reward. Ernie Johnson mockingly said, “If that doesn’t bring a tear to your eye then check your pulse.

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What’s your take on the toy horse? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.