NBA Star Kevin Durant Recovers Coinbase Account After Nearly a Decade — But Fans Are Furious

Nearly 10 years after losing access to his Coinbase account, NBA legend Kevin Durant has finally regained control of his long-dormant Bitcoin stash. But what began as a feel-good recovery story has unexpectedly stirred anger among Coinbase users who say their own pleas for help have gone unanswered.

The news broke when Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong announced on X late Thursday

“We got this fixed. Account recovery complete!”

Durant, now a 15-time NBA All-Star and set to suit up for the Houston Rockets this season, had revealed just days earlier at the Gameplan Summit in Santa Monica that he’d been locked out of his account since the mid-2010s.

Durant recalled how he first stumbled onto Bitcoin through YouTube videos back in 2014 or 2015, later nudging his agent Rich Kleiman to look into it.

The two initially dismissed the idea after consulting their business manager, but their curiosity reignited after attending a party hosted by Ben Horowitz, co-founder of venture capital giant Andreessen Horowitz. Inspired, they jumped in the very next day.

“Fortunately,” Kleiman joked on stage, “we’ve never been able to track down Kevin’s Coinbase account info — so we never sold anything, and his Bitcoin is just through the roof.”

That lost access may have turned out to be a blessing. In 2016, Bitcoin hovered between $400 and $1,000. Today, it trades at over $115,000, meaning Durant’s untouched holdings have likely multiplied up to 180 times of its original.

Neither he nor Kleiman, both early investors in Coinbase through their firm Thirty Five Ventures, disclosed the size of his original purchase.

Coinbase Customer Service in the Crosshairs

While Durant’s recovery was celebrated by Armstrong, the reaction from everyday Coinbase users was far less cheerful. Social media quickly filled with complaints from customers who say they’ve been locked out of their own accounts for years, with no resolution.

One frustrated X user wrote

“You have thousands of people that are locked out of their accounts, Brian. The same people who your CS team sold out & gave their data away.”

The backlash highlights a long-standing sore spot for Coinbase: its customer support. Many retail users have complained of slow responses, rigid processes, or, in some cases, no help at all.

Armstrong attempted damage control on Friday by sharing a thread from Coinbase’s support team, promising better service.

“We’re putting a big focus on getting better at customer support at both ends — improving products so fewer people need support, and providing a faster, higher-quality experience when you do,”

Special Treatment: Celebrity Perks vs. Everyday Users

Durant’s account recovery shines a light on a troubling imbalance. On one hand, it’s an inspiring tale of a superstar athlete reuniting with his lost Bitcoin fortune.

On the other, it reinforces the perception that celebrity cases get expedited while regular users are left stranded. For a platform that champions financial freedom and inclusivity, this double standard risks undermining trust.

@coinbase@CoinbaseSupport How can I get in touch with a human from your support team?

My funds disappeared and I have reached out through different social media platforms and the advice is always the same and does not lead to a human.

Funds disappeared on Coinbase. pic.twitter.com/k1UsOsPLzk
— Sean (@spencer_capital) September 21, 2025
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If Coinbase truly wants to prove itself as the go-to gateway for mainstream crypto adoption, it must show that every customer — from an NBA All-Star to a first-time buyer — can count on fair, efficient, and secure support.

Otherwise, the Durant story may feel less like a victory for crypto and more like a cautionary tale about privilege in Web3.