Kevin Durant missed all five of Team USA’s exhibition contests ahead of the 2024 Olympics in Paris, but Steve Kerr confirmed that the 14-time All-Star’s name will be included on the finalized roster. Like Kyrie Irving, Durant suffered an alarming injury while partaking in a summer workout and intends to do whatever it takes to return to his true form. Calf strains can be difficult to manage as an athlete, so I understand why Durant wasn’t a participant in Team USA’s pre-Olympic tune-up.
“There’s no thought of replacing Kevin,” Kerr told reporters on Monday. I was hoping he would get a game in here, but it just didn’t work out that way.” When he missed time (during the 2019 NBA finals), he came right back — and he is who he is. “He’s one of the most skilled players of all time. So, we hope he comes back soon, and I think he’ll fit right in.”
Durant returned to practice on Wednesday, but Kerr has yet to determine when he’ll finally suit up for Team USA. In Durant’s absence, the club finished 5-0 in exhibition games, but they struggled to accumulate convincing wins against teams they were favored to beat by double-digits. In fact, without Lebron James’ fourth quarter heroics against South Sudan and Germany, there is a strong chance that Team USA would have dropped both contests in disheartening fashion. While I still believe that Team USA is capable of winning a gold medal without Durant’s services, you certainly can’t go wrong by adding one of the most lethal scorers in NBA history to the mix.
