The Brooklyn Nets put a hush to any talks revolving around whether All-Star forward Kevin Durant will participate in the United States men's national team's 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, bid. Team USA, led by San Antonio Spurs five-time NBA champion head coach Gregg Popovich, could certainly use the injection of talent following their seventh-place finish in the 2019 FIBA World Cup in China last September.
Popovich spoke about the potential of Durant, who is missing the entire 2019-20 season with the Nets recovering from a torn Achilles tendon suffered in Game 5 of the 2019 NBA Finals with the Golden State Warriors, joining Team USA next summer.
Here is Spurs and Team USA coach Gregg Popovich’s full quote when asked about Kevin Durant possibly playing in the Olympics: pic.twitter.com/oeIzBN5P03
— Alex Schiffer (@Alex__Schiffer) March 7, 2020
Ahead of the Spurs' road matchup with the Nets in Brooklyn on Friday, with Durant again out for the indefinite term, Popovich downplayed the urgency to bring Durant into the fold for the national team, telling the media he “wouldn't want to push” the two-time Finals MVP back from his injury to play in the Olympics, per the Associated Press' Brian Mahoney.
Gregg Popovich says he would only want to consider Kevin Durant for the Olympic roster if he’s really ready and at the point where it’s time to play. Wouldn’t want him to push himself just to play in the Olympics.
— Brian Mahoney (@briancmahoney) March 6, 2020
Durant, 31, is also a two-time gold medalist with Team USA at the Summer Olympics, basketball's highest international stage of competition. Durant won with the Americans in 2012 in London and 2016 in Rio de Janeiro. Additionally, Durant won gold at the 2010 FIBA World Cup.
All-Star teammate point guard Kyrie Irving joined Durant on the injured list, with the one-time NBA champion with the Cleveland Cavaliers out for the season after undergoing shoulder surgery. Irving, who faced KD in the Finals when the two played for the Cavs and Warriors, respectively, was a large part of the former second-overall pick with the Oklahoma City Thunder joining the Eastern Conference's Nets, having an opportunity to play on the same squad as Irving and center DeAndre Jordan, two teammates on the U.S. men's national team that won in 2016 in Rio.
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