Winning cures everything, especially if you're Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant. Currently battling with Team USA in the 2024 Paris Olympics, Durant recently had a scoring explosion in a win over Serbia, despite dealing with a nagging calf injury. Durant led all teams in scoring with 23 points on 8-9 shooting and also had two rebounds in 17 minutes as a reserve.
Although the outburst has earned Durant some heat on social media, the former Golden State Warriors superstar is having fun on the court — something Durant had been missing for quite a while.
“Durant was absolutely miserable, abjectly miserable, when he was out and not playing,” said ESPN's Brian Windhorst when discussing Durant's Olympics outburst on the latest episode of The Hoop Collective.
“There are a few people that like things more than Kevin Durant likes playing basketball,” interjected co-host Tim Bontemps. “When he’s not playing basketball, he gets very grumpy.”
“I don’t know if I’ve ever seen Kevin happier than he was on Sunday night, and I’m talking about the nights when he won championships, too,” Windhorst continued. “When he won those championships with the Warriors, he won 4-0 and 4-1. They knew they were winning. He had gotten comfortable with the idea he was about to be a champion, but it didn’t sort of surprise him.”
To some, it might be surprising that Durant wasn't surprised when he won two championships and two Finals MVPs while with Golden State. But, to Warriors fans, the way they won was clinical when Durant was on the roster. No team could seriously push a group featuring Durant, Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green, all in their prime.
Sure, the Cleveland Cavaliers stole a game in the 2017 NBA Finals. But, Golden State kept Cleveland at arm's length away, showcasing how winning became routine. But, along the way, Durant lost a bit of that fire.
Kevin Durant having fun with Team USA in the 2024 Olympics
When Durant suffered a ruptured Achilles in the 2019 NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors, his career has been up and down since then. After a frustrating stop with Kyrie Irving, James Harden, and the Brooklyn Nets, Durant was traded to the Suns.
Even in Phoenix, Durant has still been unable to recapture the glory he felt with Golden State. Injuries keep flaring up, keeping him away from the game he loves. So, after a frustrating first-round exit at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Durant getting an invite to play for Team USA in the Olympics felt like a lifeline.
Although Durant claims he is leaning on prior bench experience, Windhorst said the former NBA MVP wasn't sure how he would perform. Durant hadn't played full-speed basketball in months and was sent right into the fire against Serbia after dealing with a nagging calf injury.
But Durant looked just like his old self when the first shot went in and kept breaking Serbia's back with make after make. When Durant is having fun, everyone who enjoys basketball has fun, too – especially when Team USA expects to win it all in Paris.
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