Nancy Lieberman found out something unexpected at Muhammad Ali’s home in Phoenix: the boxing legend wanted to meet Kevin Durant.
That realization set off the chain of events that led to Durant visiting Ali, a moment Lieberman said Durant later called “the greatest day of his life.” On the All the Smoke podcast, Lieberman walked through how she made the introduction happen while she was working on Oklahoma City Thunder television broadcasts and had access to Durant through her job.
At Ali’s house, Lieberman asked him a simple question and learned that Durant was his favorite NBA player. She remembered the moment this way:
“I said, ‘Who’s your favorite player in the NBA?’ And he goes, ‘Kevin Durant.’
You know, he was talking very low. ‘You like Kevin Durant?
I do the TV for them. You’ve never met him?’
He goes, ‘I’ve never met Kevin Durant.'”
From there, Lieberman had to thread a difficult needle. She explained that the Thunder had strict rules about mixing and mingling, and she had to be careful not to overstep while still trying to make the connection. Standing in a taped-off area, she called Durant over and tried to keep the exchange quiet.
“So fast forward to the next day, I’m in OKC. Now, OKC has rules.
You can’t mix and mingle. You know, it was hard for me a little bit because I’m like, I’m Nancy Lieberman.
I’m friends with these guys, but I have to be conscientious of who I’m working for. And they’re amazing.
“So you have to be in this little taped-off area. And I’m like, ‘Kevin, Kevin.’
And he looks at me. I said, ‘Don’t look at me.’
I said, ‘Kevin, do you know Muhammad Ali? Do you like Muhammad Ali?’
He goes, ‘Love him.’ And I’m, like, looking the other way just so I don’t lose my job.
“And I said, ‘I was with him last night. He’s my friend.
I was at the house in Phoenix.’ He goes, ‘You know Muhammad Ali?’
I go, ‘He’s my family.’ I said, ‘Kevin, he wants to meet you.’
He goes, ‘Muhammad Ali wants to meet me?'”
Lieberman then asked Durant for his phone number and said she would pass it along to Lonnie Ali so the two could set things up. Before she walked away, she gave him one more instruction.
“I said, ‘If you’ll entrust me with your phone number.’ And I started scribbling his cell.
I said, ‘I’m going to give it to Lonnie Ali. You guys can talk, and I’ll back out gracefully.
And thank you for trusting me.’ And as I got ready to walk away, I went, ‘Do not bring an entourage.'”
Durant followed through. Lieberman said he Ubered to Ali’s house after shootaround when the teams were scheduled to play about a week later, and he sent her pictures from the visit.
According to her, he told her, “Greatest day of my life.” She added that even now, when they run into each other, Durant still thanks her.
Lieberman said the gratitude goes both ways.
Her connection to Ali ran far deeper than that one introduction. Lieberman, known as Lady Magic, built a decorated basketball career of her own: she won an Olympic silver medal in 1976, helped Old Dominion win consecutive national championships in 1979 and 1980, played in the WNBA, coached, and later led the Texas Legends in the NBA’s developmental league.
Her friendship with Ali began long before the Durant meeting. In a previous interview, Lieberman said they first connected in December 1979 during her senior year at Old Dominion.
She had admired him since childhood, and he became a mentor whose advice and encouragement stayed with her through her career. Their relationship lasted for decades, including visits to his Phoenix home later in his life.
What made the Durant introduction stick with her was how naturally it came together: Ali wanted to meet Durant, Durant idolized Ali, and Lieberman happened to be the person in the middle. For her, that made the moment special on both sides.
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