Kevin Durant has one of the ‘best experiences in basketball’ with Team USA at Olympics

VILLENEUVE-D’ASCQ, France – USA Basketball forward Kevin Durant recently learned that Spencer Haywood was bitter about him breaking his Olympic record for scoring average with the USA Basketball men’s national team.

Durant told Andscape with a smile: “Spencer will be fine. Records are meant to be broken. Someone’s going to take mine, too.”

Given the way Durant played for USA Basketball in Sunday night’s 110-84 Olympic-opening win over Serbia, his USA Basketball scoring records don’t seem likely to be broken anytime soon. The four-time Olympian didn’t play in any of the five exhibition games the U.S. played before the Games due to a calf injury. However, coming into the game against Serbia, Durant was nearly perfect for the U.S., shooting 8 of 9 and making all five three-point attempts for a game-high 23 points.

“Oh, man, (the missed shot) felt good. I really wanted to finish the game perfectly,” Durant said afterwards.

Durant is the all-time leading scorer for the U.S. basketball team with 435 points in 23 Olympic games, including a men’s record 156 points at the 2012 London Olympics. Haywood held the U.S. Olympic record of 145 total points set at the 1968 Mexico City Games. Durant holds the U.S. men’s basketball record for points per game during the Olympics at 19.8. He also scored 205 points in nine games for the gold medal-winning U.S. team at the 2010 World Cup.

Although forward Kawhi Leonard was cut from the U.S. roster during training camp in Las Vegas, U.S. coach Steve Kerr never hesitated to include Durant in the team while he missed exhibition games. Durant said he felt good enough to return to action after playing 5-on-5 Friday in Paris.

“I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to have another chance to win a gold medal,” Durant told Andscape. “I knew a lot of great players were going to commit, too. So I wanted to be with those guys, too. You’re playing with the best of the best of the best coaches. It’s incredible. I just want to be able to be on the court, man. To be out there with the guys…

“Here we have the best. We get better every day. We have the chance to travel all over the world. It’s one of the best experiences in basketball.”

2024 NBA MVP Nikola Jokić and Serbia took a 10-2 lead over the United States. Durant entered the game with 2:33 left in the first quarter, with the United States trailing 19-14, while Jokić was at the free throw line. Durant has only come off the bench three times in 17 NBA seasons.

Durant showed no signs of rust, hitting his first shot, a three-pointer 17 seconds after entering the game. He scored 21 points on 8-of-8 shooting in the first half. Durant propelled the United States to a 58-49 halftime lead after scoring 15 points in the second quarter.

“The second group came in and gave us a big boost. KD was phenomenal. It’s almost like he never missed a beat, a practice, a game or anything. It was a great start for us,” said American forward LeBron James.

“KD was unbelievable in the first half and gave us a big boost,” U.S. guard Stephen Curry said.

Durant didn’t miss until his ninth and final attempt. He was applauded by the 27,000 fans expected at a packed Pierre Mauroy Stadium when he left the game in the fourth quarter. Durant told Andscape afterward that his body felt good.

The United States’ next game is Wednesday against South Sudan. Durant added that he has no problem playing as a substitute.

“I told coach I’d ​​adapt to whatever he asked me to do,” Durant said after the game. “It’s always fun to try to adapt to new roles and what the game is trying to tell me to do.”

Players on the U.S. national basketball team echoed fans’ sentiments about Durant.

“He showed me why he’s my favorite player of all time,” U.S. guard Anthony Edwards said.

“If you watch him in practice, he’s at game speed. It’s no surprise he comes right back to the game,” James said.

“Nothing he does is surprising. He shot perfect in the first half. What did he have? Twenty-one points. That’s special. He’s so used to this stage. He’s the all-time leading scorer in USAB for a reason,” Curry said.

Curry and Durant shared a warm embrace before the game. This is the first time the two men have reunited on USA Basketball since winning two titles and appearing in three NBA Finals with the Golden State Warriors. Curry and Durant also had dinner together in Las Vegas during training camp.

“We really, really, really talked about the great times we had together,” Durant told Andscape. “(Curry is) just an incredible human being. (I) get to spend time with him on a deeper level. I’m looking forward to getting to know these guys on a deeper level already.”

The U.S. men’s and women’s senior national basketball teams are playing their preliminary games in the Lille area. They are spending the night in Lille before the games. The teams are staying primarily in a hotel in Paris, where they are practicing and will likely play in the quarterfinals on August 6 (men) or August 7 (women). Durant has been to Paris before, but this was his first time in Lille.

“I’m really excited to be in Paris. I’ve always loved France in general, its culture. So any time I get the chance to visit a new place, a new city, I’m up for it,” Durant said.

Durant is seeking his record fourth Olympic medal with the heavily favored U.S. basketball team.

So what’s more important to Durant, a gold medal or an NBA championship?

“You don’t compare them. They’re two different things,” Durant told Andscape. “They’re two different mountains that you have to climb. There’s high peaks in both. So obviously, in our world, an NBA championship is more respected. But in some parts of the world, the Olympic level is more respected.”

“So I value both because winning is important. So I love my USA Basketball family and we’ll see if we can find another one.”

Sunday’s win over Serbia was Durant’s first since the final day of the regular season. Durant dismissed the idea that playing for the United States was a respite from the stress of playing for the underachieving Suns last season. Durant and the Suns have reason to be optimistic after signing point guard Tyus Jones, point guard Monte Morris and veteran coach Mike Budenholzer in the offseason.

“I’m excited about the season, Bud, his team, our team,” Durant told Andscape. “We have another year to get comfortable with each other. Plus, we’ve been underestimated so far this summer, since the season ended in a sweep. We deserve to be underestimated as a team, but I’d like us to be able to play a bigger role coming in here next season to prove that some people are different.”

Durant’s record-breaking stats with USA Basketball made him the greatest American to ever wear the uniform. And the Seat Pleasant, Md., native said he’s “never felt more proud” than he does today, in his fourth Olympics.

“I love representing the United States,” Durant told Andscape. “You travel the world and talk to people from different countries and see how interested they are in American culture.

“Actually, a lot of people want to come to the United States, which is why we’re very respected around the world. But also very hated. But most of the time, we’re just trying to represent our country and our background to the best of our ability and our family.”