Team USA is full of NBA All-Star talent as they head into the Olympics as a clear favorite to win gold. One player they've been without in their first three exhibition games however is all-time leading scorer, Kevin Durant. The Phoenix Suns superstar suffered a calf strain in camp just days before the first tune-up contest and hasn't played yet.

However, Friday marked his return to practice for the Americans, a clear sign that Durant could be ready for the States' opener on July 28th against the Serbians. The veteran is feeling optimistic about his recovery.

Via NBA.com:

“I’ve seen progress every day,” Durant told reporters before practice in London on Friday. “It’s one of those things. Just got to monitor it every day. I’ll see how I feel after I do certain exercises. My thing is to keep running and see what happens.”

Durant has scored the most points of any Team USA player at the Olympics with 435. That's 99 more than Carmelo Anthony, who sits second on the list.

Kevin Durant return welcomed by LeBron James

USA forward Kevin Durant (7) arrives for a game against Canada for the USA Basketball Showcase at T-Mobile Arena.
Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports

Yes, the Americans are stacked already without Durant and they've won all three of their warmup games so far against Canada, Australia, and Serbia. But, LeBron James knows the presence of a player like KD makes them so much better, especially given his experience at this level:

“More firepower, more leadership, more experience in the FIBA game,” three-time Olympic medalist LeBron James said. “We welcome his return. We’re looking forward to him being back out there. … Anytime we can add a piece like that it’s great for our ballclub.”

Kevin Durant won gold with the US in 2012, 2016, and 2021 in Tokyo. If the States do go all the way again, he'll be the first player in men's basketball history to lift the gold on four occasions.

The 2012 games happened to be in London, where Team USA will wrap up exhibition play on Saturday vs South Sudan and Monday against Germany. Being in the UK again has brought back fond memories for KD:

“Definitely, 2012 was a turning point in my career, just being around greats every single day and seeing how they operate, I just took a lot of that stuff with me,” Durant said.

Team USA is in Group C alongside Serbia, South Sudan, and Puerto Rico. They're expected to breeze through their pod and already beat the Serbs on Wednesday, but they weren't at full strength.

Kevin Durant and Co. open the Olympics on July 28th.