If you were on Twitter—now X—back in late 2021, you definitely saw it. A high-resolution photo from a Brooklyn Nets game against the Cleveland Cavaliers started circulating, and it wasn't of a game-winning shot or a slick crossover. It was a close-up of an ankle.
Specifically, it was Kevin Durant dry skin on full display.
The image, captured by photographer Daren Scarberry for SLAM Kicks, meant to showcase KD’s Nike sneakers. Instead, it revealed a patch of skin so dehydrated it looked like cracked desert earth or, as some trolls put it, alligator scales. The internet, being the internet, went absolutely nuclear.
The Night the Internet Found KD’s Ankles
It’s kinda wild how a guy who has won two NBA championships and an MVP award can be reduced to a meme over a bottle of Lubriderm. But that’s exactly what happened. Within hours, "ashy" was trending.
Former teammate Draymond Green didn't hold back, jokingly calling the skin "scales" on his podcast. Isaiah Thomas chimed in, basically begging KD to find some lotion. Even the fans in Atlanta joined the fray a few weeks later, famously chanting "You need lotion!" while Durant was at the free-throw line.
Honestly, most superstars would have ignored it or had a PR person release a statement about "focusing on basketball." Not Kevin Durant.
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KD did what he always does: he went to the trenches of social media. His response was legendary and very on-brand. He tweeted, “I’m bouta pull my ‘y’all broke’ card in a second. F*** y’all.” It was peak KD—brutally honest, slightly defensive, and hilarious.
Is Kevin Durant Dry Skin Just a Choice?
Most people assumed he was just lazy. You’ve got millions of dollars, right? Just buy a gallon of cocoa butter and call it a day. But for anyone who actually deals with chronic dry skin, it’s rarely that simple.
There’s been a lot of speculation about why his skin looked that way. Some dermatologists, like those interviewed by Butter.ATL after the incident, suggested conditions like ichthyosis vulgaris. It’s a genetic thing where the skin doesn’t shed dead cells properly, leading to a thick, scaly appearance that regular lotion barely touches.
If you have that, you could put on moisturizer at 6:00 PM and look "ashy" again by tip-off at 7:30 PM.
Fast forward to more recent times, and Durant has been even more candid. In a 2024 appearance on the Impaulsive podcast and subsequent interviews in 2025, he admitted he just doesn't prioritize the "polished" look anymore. He mentioned that he stops getting haircuts and skips the lotion because it makes him feel more relaxed.
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Basically, he’s at a point in his career where the "mental freedom" of not caring about his public appearance outweighs the desire to look smooth for the cameras.
Why NBA Players Get Ashy
- The "Slippery" Factor: KD actually explained that he avoids lotion before games because it makes his hands slippery. If you’re a 7-footer who needs to palm a basketball at 20 mph, having greasy fingers is a recipe for turnovers.
- Sweat and Friction: Basketball involves constant running and high-intensity movement. Sweat combined with the friction of socks and compression gear can strip moisture from the skin faster than you’d think.
- Cold Climate Shifts: The viral photo happened in Cleveland in November. Cold, dry air is the ultimate enemy of hydrated skin.
The Business of Ashiness
You’d think a skincare brand would have jumped on this immediately. And they did—eventually.
In late 2025, CeraVe officially became the NBA’s first skincare and haircare partner. While Anthony Davis became the face of the "Head of CeraVe" campaign, the entire partnership was sparked by the growing conversation around athlete self-care that KD’s ankles inadvertently started.
It turned a "gross" meme into a legitimate health and wellness category for the league. Suddenly, talking about the skin barrier wasn't just for lifestyle influencers; it was for the guys playing 40 minutes a night in the paint.
What You Can Actually Do If You Have "KD Skin"
If you’re looking at your own ankles and seeing a bit of Kevin Durant dry skin looking back at you, don't just reach for the nearest cheap bottle of scented lotion.
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If it’s truly "ashy" in the way KD’s was, you need what’s called a keratolytic. These are moisturizers that contain ingredients like urea, lactic acid, or salicylic acid. Instead of just sitting on top of the dry skin, these ingredients actually dissolve the "glue" holding the dead skin cells together.
Also, timing is everything. Applying moisturizer to bone-dry skin is a waste of time. You have to do it within three minutes of getting out of the shower to trap that water in.
KD might not care if his ankles look like a topographic map of Nevada, but if you do, the strategy is "exfoliate then hydrate."
Practical Next Steps
- Check the Ingredients: Look for a cream (not a pump lotion) that lists Urea or Ammonium Lactate in the first few ingredients.
- The 3-Minute Rule: Apply your heaviest moisturizer immediately after patting your skin dry post-shower.
- Occlusives are Key: If your skin is severely cracked, layer a thin coat of Vaseline or Aquaphor over your lotion at night to "seal" the deal.
At the end of the day, Kevin Durant is still one of the greatest scorers to ever touch a basketball. Whether his skin is hydrated or "ashy" hasn't stopped him from dropping 30 points on the best defenders in the world. But for the rest of us who don't have a "y'all broke" card to play, a little extra lotion probably wouldn't hurt.