All signs point to Kevin Durant playing in Team USA’s 2024 Paris Olympics opener against Serbia on Sunday. The veteran Suns forward’s status for the opener was in doubt after he missed all five of Team USA’s exhibition contests in the lead-up to the Games with a calf strain.
However, Durant was a full participant in a scrimmage on Thursday and planned to practice on Saturday, revealed Team USA head coach Steve Kerr.
“We’ll see how things go in practice [on Saturday],” Kerr told reporters on Friday, via USA Today. “So far so good. He came through the scrimmage two days ago pretty well. …Having coached him before, he’s one of the few guys I’ve been around who can step back out on the court and look like Kevin Durant, a player of his caliber. Most players it would take some time to get your rhythm back, and it will, too, for him to a certain extent. But he’s pretty special.”
Durant is “pretty special” indeed. The sharpshooting star is trying to become the first men’s basketball player in history to win four gold medals (Carmelo Anthony is tied with three), and the first male athlete to win four gold medals in any team sport at the Olympics.
The two-time NBA champion is already the leading scorer in Team USA history, with 435 total points from his three previous Olympic campaigns in 2012, 2016 and 2020. In Paris, Durant will get a chance to add to his record tally, and potentially challenge Lisa Leslie’s record (489) for most Olympic points across both men and women in Team USA history.
As such, a lot is at stake for Durant, who can further enrich his legacy at the Paris Games.
If Durant does suit up against Serbia, he will likely come off the bench, especially with Team USA finding stability in a starting five of Stephen Curry, Devin Booker, Jrue Holiday, LeBron James and Joel Embiid. Kerr said he has “yet to make a decision” on Durant’s role upon return from injury.