After facing off against Kevin Durant for the better part of seven NBA seasons, Miami Heat and Team USA big man Bam Adebayo knows how special a basketball player the former is. After winning two Olympic gold medals with KD by his side, Bam is convinced that the man known as the "Slim Reaper" ranks right up there with the greatest Olympians in the sporting spectacle's long and celebrated history.
Exceptional commitment to excellence and Team USA
As prestigious as it is to be among the select few who will represent the United States in the Olympics, it takes an incredible amount of sacrifice for NBA superstars like KD to commit his summer—a time typically reserved for players to rest and recharge after a grueling 82-game regular season followed by an intense NBA Playoffs—to training and playing in the games. But that's exactly what makes athletes like Durant so exceptional: their unwavering commitment to excellence, both for themselves and for Team USA.
Kevin's build-up toward the Olympics wasn't flawless, as he missed all five of Team USA's tuneup games to recover from a strained calf. However, Durant hit the ground running after returning to the lineup, scoring 23 points on 8-for-9 shooting against Serbia.
KD remained steady throughout the group and knockout stages and capped off his stint with 15 points, four rebounds, and four assists in Team USA's 98-87 win over France in the gold-medal match.
Afterward, Adebayo expressed his reverence for KD, saying : "He has put the stamp on being the greatest Olympian. He has imprinted his name at the top."
Including his stint in the FIBA World Cup in 2010, Durant has captured five gold medals for USA Basketball and trails only women's basketball legend Diana Taurasi for the most gold medals in Team USA history. Following Team USA's close win over France in the women's basketball final, Taurasi now has six gold medals in her illustrious career.
Related: "You could just feel it, the lack of respect" - Alonzo Mourning on the tense environment in the gold medal game against France in the 2000 Olympics
Unbreakable scoring record
Aside from the gold medals, KD is also USA Basketball's all-time leading scorer with 518 points. It is a record that Bam figures will stand for a long time, considering the next closest is LeBron James with 358 points. With "The King" expressing doubt regarding his participation in the 2028 L.A. Olympics and how the players ranked no. 2 up to ten are all retired, Durant's scoring record may be unbreakable.
"It's going to be a long time before somebody breaks that record. I'm happy for him. Proud of him. He keeps the main thing the main thing. He continues to play basketball the right way," Bam asserted.
But for KD, as impressive as it is to hold so many records in USA Basketball (he's also the program's all-time leader in rebounds), those things are mere gravy to the main course: representing the Stars and Stripes to the best of their abilities.
"We have built on what the Dream Team did in 1992. We carried that torch. That was the main goal," Durant stated.
While some may say KD may ride off to the sunset after this latest gold medal conquest, Kevin says to hold off on any retirement announcements. He believes he still has lots of gas left in the tank, sufficient enough to don the USA one more time in front of home fans in the Los Angeles Summer Games in 2028.
Related: "As far as 2028, who knows, man" - KD is not closing the door on winning a 5th Olympic gold medal
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