NEW YORK (USA) - Los Angeles, we will have a lift off.
At least it looks like that will be the case for USA once Kevin Durant is named on the country's Olympic roster for the fifth time in his career.
That experience is one of the best, man. I encourage everybody to play for their country.
The 2010 FIBA Basketball World Cup MVP, Durant has followed that achievement up with leading roles in USA teams that captured gold medals at the 2012, 2016, 2021 and 2024 Olympics.
At the 2021 Summer Games in Tokyo, Durant was the tournament's MVP.
He will be two months shy of his 40th birthday when the Gold Medal Game is played in the City of Angels on July 30.
Why keep playing if he's already done it all, already widely viewed as the best to do ever do it in the USA jersey?
"It’s just fun, man,” Durant said to The Athletic. "It’s an incredible time. You get to travel the world. I don’t know if we’re gonna get to travel the world with it being in the States, but the last few years, we would go (to) Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Paris, London, Canary Islands, Madrid … being in places that changed not just my perspective about the game, just about life in general.
"I've been in places I've never even thought about being in if it wasn't for the game. That experience is one of the best, man. I encourage everybody to play for their country."
Durant's competitive juices are still flowing, which is important.
He said on the Draymond Green Show early last year that he didn't want to just go along for the ride and get a fifth Olympic gold medal.
"If I'm up to that level and I'm still hooping at that level, and I myself feel up to it, then yeah, I would definitely love to be a part of that," he said. "Especially being in L.A., being on home soil. Man, it's gonna be stupid."
The USA national team's all-time leading scorer in Olympic history is already putting up big numbers this season with Houston, averaging 20.8 points through five games. Last season, he averaged 26.0 points per game.
While his top scoring average with USA was his unforgettable World Cup performance in 2010, in Istanbul, when he averaged 22.8 points per game, he's always been a leader of the offense. At the 2024 Games in France, Durant's numbers dipped to 13.8 points per game but the American team's leading scorer Steph Curry (14.8 points per game) and LeBron James (14.2) were just ahead of him. James played 14 more minutes at the Olympics and scored 85 points overall, while Curry played six more minutes in all and scored 89. Durant finished with 83 points.
His high level of performance for every USA team that he's played for is remarkable. He averaged 19.5 points per game (London, 2012), 19.4 points per game (Rio de Janeiro, 2016) and 20.7 points per game (Tokyo, 2021).
Steve Kerr, the head coach in 2024, explained why Durant is the best.
"No. 1, FIBA is six weeks,” Kerr said to The Athletic. "You don’t have much time to build continuity. You don't have much time to install a system. Kevin is, like, the most lethal scorer, one of the most lethal scorers in the history of basketball. So, if you need to get a basket and you only have five days of practice and then these games - a game with different rules, different players - you're going against guys you don’t know. Kevin Durant's perfect for that. Throw the ball to Kevin."
Durant said he was deeply touched by Kerr's comments.
He's been fortunate to play under great USA coaches like Mike Krzyzewski (2010, 2014, 2016), Gregg Popovich (2021) and Kerr (2024).
If I'm up to that level and I'm still hooping at that level, and I myself feel up to it, then yeah, I would definitely love to be a part of that
In 2028, Miami Heat boss Erik Spoelstra, an assistant for the USA's 2023 World Cup team and 2024 Olympic team, will be the head coach.
“I’m humbled and honored to get that recognition,” he said. “So many great players have played. They probably didn’t play as long as me; that’s probably why I get that. I've been on four Olympic teams. We've won gold every time, so I've just been around. I show up.
"I think that’s what my career has been based upon, just showing up and letting the chips fall where they may. … I experienced some great coaching with Team USA, and that’s really what brings me back."
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