USA Basketball officials remain optimistic that Kevin Durant will represent his country at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, according to Marc J. Spears of Andscape.
Spears noted that Durant will miss Wednesday’s exhibition game against Canada and his availability for the next two games is uncertain due to a calf injury sustained before joining the national team.
Team USA coach Steve Kerr downplayed the injury’s severity last week, stating Durant is “day-to-day.”
“He’s assuring me that it’s not bad,” Kerr said to reporters. “We’re just going to be really careful and smart and take it day by day and go from there.”
Despite the uncertainty surrounding Durant, Team USA has already seen Kawhi Leonard withdraw from the squad due to knee inflammation, a move that wasn’t entirely unexpected given his curtailed NBA playoff run.
Even without Leonard, the United States boasts significant star power with LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Joel Embiid, and Jayson Tatum leading the team.
Durant, however, will be crucial for Team USA’s pursuit of a fifth consecutive gold medal. The 6’11” forward is an exceptional scorer for his size, averaging 27.1 points on 52.3 percent shooting, including 41.3 percent from three-point range for the Phoenix Suns in the 2023-24 season.
Durant has also been outstanding on the international stage, averaging 20.6 points and 5.6 rebounds per game across the 2010 FIBA World Championship and the past three Olympics.
Kerr and his staff likely believe Durant can seamlessly integrate into the team when he’s healthy, despite missing some important warm-up games before the Paris Olympics.
