At the Olympic Games in Paris, Kevin Durant pays tribute to the brotherhood of US basketball

PARIS – Kevin Durant loves basketball.

We know that.

But how much does Durant cost Love, like really love, love, basketball?

To find out, I asked him this question: If nine NBA writers played basketball and needed a tenth for 5-on-5, would Durant play?

Durant, the Phoenix Suns star, grinned broadly and enjoyed the nature of the question.

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“You know what, probably 10 years ago,” Durant said. “Now I need to see other NBA players on the court. Maybe I need to coach you guys a little bit. But I would definitely watch. I wouldn't leave the gym. I want to see what you can do.”

“I've had so much fun playing basketball that I always love to see people having fun.”

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Durant’s joy is always evident when he is with Team USA.

USA Basketball, and the Olympics in particular, are a refuge for Durant. While his NBA career has moved from team to team, the Olympics have been a constant, a place where Durant can simply play basketball.

“For these guys, the Olympic experience is something pure,” said Steve Kerr, coach of the U.S. 5×5 basketball team. “They're playing together. They're playing together with guys they're used to competing against, but the fact that it's such a short competition allows all these guys to just focus on winning every game and committing to each other. And there's just not a lot of that NBA nonsense. They just go out and play and win and they're all together.”

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Durant loves this and has embraced it.

He will try to become the first American man to win four Olympic gold medals in basketball when the U.S. plays France in the Olympic final on Saturday.

Durant is already the all-time leading point scorer in U.S. Olympic history (male and female) with 502 points, surpassing Lisa Leslie at these Games, and has established himself as one of the greatest Olympic players of all time, surpassing what Carmelo Anthony accomplished for the U.S. at the Olympics.

“We love playing for our country and there's a lot of (BS) happening in our country too,” Durant said. “But there are a lot of great things that come from where we come from. We love the brotherhood that comes with USAB. These are experiences that we'll remember for the rest of our lives. We want to be there and make the most of it.”

Despite changing teams – from Oklahoma City to Golden State to Brooklyn to Phoenix – USA Basketball was a constant in Durant’s basketball life.

He thrives in the international game.

“The 3-point line is shorter and you're playing with more talent than anything else, so I don't have to do everything on the court,” Durant said. “You can save your energy and use it in different places, you can travel the world and play the game. And you're surrounded by the best coaches and players in the league. That's just why I come back every year, and that's the best part for me.”

“I just enjoy being in that environment, the routine and everything that comes with it, especially in the summer. The sun is shining, you're in high spirits, you're hanging out in the summer. It's just cool. As you get older, you really start to realize that you might not get to do this again. Having spent my entire career basically with Team USA, I always just want to stay in the here and now and enjoy every moment.”

Durant suffered a calf injury before the Olympics and missed his team's five friendly games. But in his first game since the NBA playoffs, Durant scored 23 points on 8 of 9 shooting against Serbia in the opening game of Group C at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Against Serbia in the semifinals, the USA trailed 76-61 late in the third quarter. Durant had not scored a point and made 0 of 4 field shots, but he made the final shot of the quarter to cut Serbia's lead to 76-63. His 3-pointer with 7:19 left in the fourth quarter brought the USA within 78-70 and his pull-up jumper with 34 seconds left put the USA ahead 93-89. It was the decisive shot and Durant scored his nine points in the final 10:08 minutes.

“I felt like I was floating in and out of the game when I was in there,” Durant said. “They played the zone well and threw me off a little bit, but I just tried to stay in it defensively and was able to sink a few balls after that.”

Eleven years ago, then-men's national team executive director Jerry Colangelo held a press conference at USA Basketball's mini-camp and called Durant and Kevin Love the faces of USA Basketball. Love never played for Team USA again, while Durant went on to become one of USA Basketball's greatest Olympians.

“I never looked at basketball like that, just one face, one guy that drives the game. There are so many of us that contribute to this,” Durant said. “So many people have put their blood, sweat and tears into USAB that I can just say I'm the face of it all. I have so many great teammates and coaches and we all equally put in our work to make this program what it is.”