A sluggish begin within the 2024 Paris Olympics might have been excused — and even anticipated — from Kevin Durant. Durant had missed a month of apply with Crew USA with a calf harm, and didn’t play a second within the group’s unblemished tune-up slate. With the Individuals beginning their gold medal protection on Sunday in opposition to Nikola Jokic and Serbia, Durant was cleared to play and tabbed as a reserve off the bench. Something he gave the U.S. ought to have been thought of gravy after such a protracted layoff.
As an alternative, Durant took over the sport and turned in one of many higher performances in males’s Olympic basketball historical past. USA Basketball beat Serbia, 110-84, behind a stunning shot-making show from KD that noticed him hit dagger after dagger everywhere in the courtroom.
Durant hit his first eight photographs from the sector and went an ideal 5-for-5 from three-point vary in an unbelievable 23-point effort within the win. He’s the kind of nuclear off-ball shooter Crew USA wanted to look actually unbeatable, and it’s clear he didn’t miss a beat after the harm. Watch highlights from Durant’s efficiency right here:
Durant has a case as the best males’s basketball participant in Olympic historical past. He entered the Paris video games with three gold medals to his title with Crew USA in 2012, 2016, and 2021. No males’s basketball participant has ever gained 4 gold medals, and KD might be the primary if the U.S. accomplishes what it’s favored to do.
Durant’s run within the Tokyo Olympics a number of years in the past licensed his legend. He carried the USA to a gold medal virtually by himself, main the group in scoring (20.7 factors per recreation) whereas being second in rebounds, assists, and blocks. Within the course of, Durant surpassed Carmelo Anthony as Crew USA’s all-time main scorer.
If the Tokyo Video games secured Durant’s Olympic legacy, the Paris Video games provide a reminder that he’s nonetheless on the prime of his recreation. Durant is about to show 36 years previous earlier than subsequent season begins, however there’s all the time been a futuristic high quality about his recreation: 6’11 with guard expertise, limitless vary, and the flexibility to hit photographs that no defender on Earth (anticipate for possibly Victor Wembanyama?) has an opportunity to contest.
Right here’s Durant ripping a 3 over Jokic:
And right here he’s coming down and drilling one other triple:
Durant is a superb participant in any state of affairs, however this USA roster has the right infrastructure to get one of the best out of him. LeBron James is Crew USA’s lead initiator on the ball. Stephen Curry can deal with some creation duties too, however is usually utilizing his capturing gravity to open up area for everybody else. Add in an enormous man like Anthony Davis demanding consideration within the paint, and it’s unimaginable to cowl the entire United States’ weapons.
When the ball swings across the perimeter, the open man is usually Durant. Good luck attempting to cease him with one of many sweetest strokes in basketball historical past and an unprecedented bag of perimeter scoring strikes for somebody together with his dimension.
The great thing about the U.S. males’s basketball roster is that they don’t want Durant to be their singular celebrity like final time in Tokyo. With LeBron and Steph and a ridiculously proficient forged of gamers round them, KD can simply be one of many guys. In that context, nobody can cease him.
