It sounds like a nightmare. You check your old accounts and realize you’re sitting on a literal gold mine, but you can't find the keys to the gate. That's exactly where Kevin Durant found himself. For nearly a decade, one of the greatest scorers in NBA history was effectively "sidelined" from his own crypto fortune. It wasn't because of a market crash or a bad trade. It was a forgotten password. Honestly, it's the kind of thing that makes you feel a little better about your own digital disorganization.
If Kevin Durant can lose his login, anyone can.
The story finally reached its climax in late 2025 when the news broke: Kevin Durant bitcoin access regained. After years of being locked out of his Coinbase account, the current Houston Rockets forward (who just signed a massive extension through 2026) finally got back in. But this isn't just a story about a guy finding a lost wallet. It’s a case study in accidental "forced HODLing" that turned a smart investment into a generational windfall.
The 11,000% Mistake
Back in 2016, the world looked a lot different. KD was playing for the Golden State Warriors and starting to listen to the tech heavyweights in Silicon Valley. During a dinner with teammates and later a party hosted by Andreessen Horowitz co-founder Ben Horowitz, the word "Bitcoin" kept coming up.
Durant and his business partner, Rich Kleiman, decided to pull the trigger. They reportedly bought in when Bitcoin was trading between $400 and $900. Some reports suggest their entry price was around $650 per coin.
Then, user error happened.
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They lost the password. They lost the two-factor authentication (2FA) codes. They basically lost the map to the treasure. For nine years, that Bitcoin sat untouched on Coinbase. While the rest of the world was panic-selling during the "crypto winters" of 2018 and 2022, Durant couldn't have sold if he wanted to.
By the time he regained access in September 2025, Bitcoin had cleared $115,000. We’re talking about an appreciation of over 11,400%. Because he was locked out, he was forced to hold through every single peak and valley. It’s the most successful mistake in the history of sports investing.
How the Recovery Went Down
You might wonder why it took so long. If you or I lose our Coinbase password, we’re often stuck in a loop of automated support bots and "identity verification" emails that lead nowhere.
For a while, that’s exactly what happened to KD. Kleiman admitted at the CNBC Game Plan summit in Santa Monica that they just hadn't been able to figure the process out. "It's just a process we haven't been able to figure out, but Bitcoin keeps going up... so, I mean, it's only benefited us," Kleiman joked at the time.
The breakthrough came shortly after that public admission.
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Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong actually stepped in. On September 19, 2025, Armstrong posted on X (formerly Twitter) that the account recovery was finally complete. "We got this fixed," he wrote. While it was a win for Durant, it actually sparked a fair bit of controversy.
The Celebrity Support Bias
Not everyone was cheering. As soon as the news broke that Kevin Durant bitcoin access regained status was official, the comment sections lit up.
Regular users who had been locked out of their accounts for years started asking why they didn't get the "CEO treatment." It’s a fair point. If the 15-time All-Star hadn't mentioned it on a stage with Andrew Ross Sorkin, would he still be locked out?
- The Problem: Thousands of retail investors face similar 2FA and password issues.
- The Reality: High-profile cases often get manual overrides that standard customer service isn't authorized to perform.
- The Backlash: Armstrong had to follow up by promising a "big focus" on improving customer support for everyone, not just NBA legends.
The Tax Man Cometh
Regaining access to hundreds of millions of dollars sounds great until you realize the IRS is watching the news too. Some analysts, like those at Phemex, suggested that the recovery of these funds—specifically if KD decided to liquidate some of the 3,000+ BTC he is rumored to hold—could trigger a tax bill north of $125 million.
Since Durant is now playing for the Houston Rockets, his residency in Texas (a state with no income tax) might help him keep more of that loot than if he were still in California or New York. But federal capital gains are unavoidable.
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Lessons From the KD Lockdown
This whole saga is basically a masterclass in what not to do, even if it worked out for him. Most people who lose their keys don't have the CEO of the exchange on speed dial.
Secure your 2FA seeds. Don't just rely on an old phone number or a specific app. If you lose the device, you lose the account. Write down your backup codes and put them in a physical safe.
The power of doing nothing. The biggest takeaway here is the "accidental HODL." Most investors lose money because they overtrade. They see a 10% dip and they panic. Durant's inability to touch his money is what made him tens (or hundreds) of millions. Sometimes the best thing you can do for your portfolio is to forget the password—just make sure you find it eventually.
Diversify your custody. Relying on a single exchange for a decade is risky. If Coinbase had gone the way of FTX, that Bitcoin would be gone regardless of whether he had the password or not. If you have significant holdings, look into cold storage (hardware wallets) where you—and only you—hold the private keys.
Now that the Kevin Durant bitcoin access regained saga is closed, it serves as a reminder that even the most sophisticated "business moguls" (KD's 35V firm has invested in over 100 startups) are susceptible to simple human error. He got lucky. Most people don't.
Your Next Steps
If you haven't checked your old exchange accounts in a year or two, do it today. Make sure your recovery email is up to date and that you have your 2FA backup codes stored somewhere that isn't just "on your phone." If you're currently locked out of an account, start the formal identity verification process now rather than waiting for a bull market when support tickets are backed up for months.
Final bit of advice: if you’re sitting on gains like KD, talk to a tax professional before you hit that "sell" button. Moving from a high-tax state to a low-tax state before realizing gains—much like Durant's move to Texas—can save you millions in the long run.