While many assumed Paris marked the end of an era for Team USA’s biggest names, Kevin Durant has made it clear that he is not ready to close that chapter just yet.
The Houston Rockets star pushed back on the idea that the 2024 Olympics were a “last dance” for him or other veteran stars, stressing that the narrative never came from his mouth.
“You guys, the media, have projected that,” Durant told ESPN. “That narrative, where did the last dance thing come from? I didn’t say I wasn’t playing. LeBron said he wasn’t. You didn’t hear that from me or Steph.”
With LeBron James already ruling himself out of the 2028 Games and Stephen Curry calling his participation “highly unlikely,” Durant suddenly finds himself as the most vocal superstar willing to extend his Olympic career into his late 30’s.
And he left no ambiguity about his desire to do so.
“Hell yeah, I want to play,” Durant said.
Still, Durant emphasized that any future Olympic appearance would have to be earned, not gifted based on reputation or past accomplishments.
“I’ve got to stay on top of my game. I’m not expecting, I want to produce on the floor and make Grant and whoever is making the decisions, want to put me on the team,” Durant said. “I want to still prove I can help the team win.”
Durant would be 39 years old during the 2028 Summer Olympics, which will be held in Los Angeles, at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood.
That possibility feels less far-fetched when considering Durant’s Olympic résumé. He is already the United States’ all-time leading scorer in Olympic competition and has won gold at every Games he has appeared in, beginning with London in 2012.
Even in Paris in 2024, when his role was smaller, Durant remained a key contributor to another gold medal run.
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