OKLAHOMA CITY—Hal Smith first met Kevin Durant four years ago, when a mutual acquaintance informed him that the basketball superstar was thinking about opening a restaurant.
Smith, 69, runs a restaurant group based in Norman, Okla., that employs about 7,000 people across seven states. From their very first talk, the two men established an easy rapport, and within a year and a half they opened KD’s, a sleek spot in downtown Oklahoma City serving Southern comfort food.
But while the restaurant has done well, in recent months a matter of basketball business has been prickling Smith’s mind.