Team USA grabbed their fifth straight Olympics gold medal in basketball following their 98-87 win against France on Saturday and a big reason why was the continued brilliance of Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant.
Kevin Durant will have to make a decision on whether or not to play for Team USA in four years for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. Following the 2024 gold medal game, Durant was non-committal when asked about possibly playing in 2028, simply saying, ‘we'll see,' as per Marc J. Spears of ESPN's Andscape.
This is Durant's fourth time playing with Team USA and his fourth gold medal. Durant was on the 2012, 2016 and 2020 Team USA roster. He broke a tie with Carmelo Anthony as both had three Olympic gold medals prior to Sunday's game.
Against France, Durant finished with 15 points, four rebounds, four assists, one steal and one blocked shot. He shot 5-of-12 from the field, 3-0f-9 from the three-point line and 2-of-2 from the free-throw line. Durant began the Olympics coming off the bench following a minor injury during exhibition play. But he had since moved into the starting lineup.
Kevin Durant becomes one of Team USA's most decorated players
Before the 2024 Olympics, Carmelo Anthony was widely considered to be the most revered Team USA player. Anthony had three gold medals in the Olympics as well as a gold medal from the FIBA Americas championship in 2007. He also has two bronze medals, one from the 2004 Olympics and one from the 2006 FIBA World Championships.
But current Kevin Durant surpassed Anthony on Sunday in Olympic gold medals. Not only that, but during this Olympic run, Durant surpassed former WNBA superstar Lisa Leslie as Team USA's all-time leading scorer in both men and women's basketball. Durant was moved into the starting lineup prior to the gold medal game against France after coming off the bench.
By the time the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles rolls around, Durant will be 39 years old. It's possible that he suits up for United States again. LeBron James is currently 39 years old. But it remains to be seen the mileage Durant may have once 2028 rolls around. The Suns are expecting to be contenders in the immediate future.
This past season, Kevin Durant appeared in 75 games for the Suns, the most he's played since the 2018-19 season right before his Achilles injury. He averaged 27.1 points, 6.6 rebounds and 5.0 assists with splits of 52.3 percent shooting from the field, 41.3 percent shooting from the three-point line and 85.6 percent shooting from the free-throw line.
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