LOS ANGELES (TNS) — As he entered the University of Texas’ men’s basketball facility, Kevin Durant gazed along the side of the wall. His eyes fixated at one particular spot.

The Longhorns announced in big and gold letters what the building represented: “KEVIN DURANT TEXAS BASKETBALL CENTER.”

Those five words struck Durant in a particular way, as a wave of emotions and memories flooded from his lone season in 2007 at the University of Texas.

“Who would’ve thought 10 years before when I first walked in there as a 17-year old-kid when I was a freshman that 10 1/2 years later or 11 years later, my name would be on the wall?” Durant recalled thinking.

But here Durant was. Durant visited the University of Texas on Friday during the Warriors’ off day in what he considered “perfect timing.” The Warriors had played in Houston against the Rockets on Thursday and would not play again until Saturday in Los Angeles against the Clippers. Though Durant missed both games with a strained right calf, Durant and University of Texas officials had planned the visit months beforehand.

Durant had donated $3 million to Texas’ athletic department in what marked the largest gift by a former student-athlete in the program’s history. Durant became the first freshman to win the John R. Wooden Award and the Naismith College Player of the Award after leading the Longhorns with 25.8 points on 47.3 percent shooting and 11.1 rebounds. Durant then declared for the 2007 NBA draft and was selected No. 2 by the former Seattle Supersonics.

“I had dreams of making it to the NBA. I definitely wanted to make it sooner than later. But it was the fact that I just focused on where I was at the moment,” Durant said. “I stayed in the moment. It was easy to see where you want to go and know it’s right in your grasp. All you want to do is focus on that. I was just focused on actually becoming a better basketball player.

I was excited about playing in college. I was excited about playing in the tournament. That type of stuff fueled me everyday to focus on where I was and knowing I want to be an NBA player.”