Kevin Durant has long been known as one of the NBA’s most lethal scorers, but his latest victory didn’t happen on the hardwood—it happened in the marketing department. After years of relentless social media roasting regarding his dry skin, the Houston Rockets superstar has officially signed a partnership with skincare brand CeraVe.
The campaign launched this week with a hilarious video that instantly went viral. In the clip, Durant sits calmly and reads “mean tweets” from fans mocking his hygiene, specifically targeting a now-infamous 2021 photo that showed his dry, “ashy” ankles during a game. Rather than getting defensive, Durant leaned all the way into the joke.
“I Had 35 Points That Night” The highlight of the video comes when Durant addresses the specific viral image that started the “Ashy KD” narrative. After reading a tweet mocking his ankles, Durant delivers the ultimate mic drop:
“I had 35 [points] on 12 shots that night. That is way more important than my ashy ankles.”
He also clapped back at a fan who begged him to put on lotion, deadpanning to the camera: “Why are you actually watching my legs so closely, brother?”. The video concludes with a cash register sound effect, signaling that Durant has officially monetized the hate.
From “The Trenches” to the Bank The partnership is a genius pivot for Durant, who had previously admitted on his “Unguarded” podcast in December 2025 that he had stopped caring about grooming, including getting haircuts or using lotion, because he liked to feel “close to the trenches”. That admission only fueled the online jokes, but Durant has now flipped the script.
Social media reaction has been overwhelmingly positive, with fans calling it “elite marketing” and joking that Durant is the first player since “Ashy Larry” to get paid for being dry. CeraVe also joined the fun, commenting on the post: “Leave the man and his legs alone, we literally got him covered.”.
In an NBA season filled with trade rumors and suspensions, Kevin Durant just reminded everyone that he remains the undisputed king of social media—and now, skincare.
