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NBA star Kevin Durant’s long-lost bitcoin stash is finally recovered, amplifying Coinbase’s customer service rebound and spotlighting bitcoin’s explosive growth since the early days of adoption.
NBA Star Kevin Durant Breaks Silence on Lost Bitcoin
National Basketball Association (NBA) star Kevin Durant had his Coinbase account restored after being locked out for years, according to Coinbase chief executive Brian Armstrong. In a post on social media platform X on Sept. 18, Armstrong stated:
We got this fixed. Account recovery complete.
Armstrong’s statement followed remarks at CNBC’s Game Plan conference in Los Angeles, where Durant and his agent Rich Kleiman outlined the prolonged challenges they faced with the exchange’s recovery system.
Durant originally bought bitcoin on Coinbase in 2016 after hearing about the cryptocurrency from Golden State Warriors teammates. Bitcoin traded between $360 and $1,000 at that time, compared with nearly $116,000 on Thursday. Neither Durant nor Kleiman disclosed the amount of his holdings, though both are investors in Coinbase through their business platform Boardroom. Speaking earlier in the week, Kleiman described the difficulty: “It’s just a process we haven’t been able to figure out. But, Bitcoin keeps going up … so, I mean, it’s only benefited us.”
Armstrong used the high-profile case to highlight Coinbase’s broader customer support initiatives. He emphasized:
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.
Wes Griffith, who leads teams to support Coinbase customers, also addressed concerns on X: “We know customer support at Coinbase has been criticized. We hear you, we are consistently improving and want to bring you along the way.” He detailed steps Coinbase is taking, including addressing product issues earlier, boosting automation with APIs and AI tools, cutting down chatbot barriers, and strengthening live support. “In August, our Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) hit an all-time high – up +20% over the last 2 months. A good step forward, but we’ve got plenty more to do,” he shared.