In a chat with the media this week, NBA veteran Kevin Durant opened up about his past experiences with Team USA. According to Durant, his time rubbing shoulders with legends in the 2012 Olympic games was a "turning point" in his career
“2012 was a turning point in my career, every day just being around greats every single day. Seeing how they operate, you know I just took a lot of stuff with me. So you see the younger guys here like [Anthony Edwards] and [Tyrese Haliburton], you see their minds turn a bit. Truly, you know, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
Kevin Durant is back in the fold for Team USA after missing the first few exhibition games to recover from a calf strain. As a 2x champion, former MVP, 4x scoring leader, and 14x All-Star, Durant is one of the most accomplished players on the US roster this year and he has taken on a head leadership role alongside other OGs like LeBron James and Stephen Curry.
With three gold medals already, Durant is one of the most experienced Olympic athletes in the tournament and Team USA will be looking to him often for easy buckets on offense. Back in 2012, however, things were different for Durant.
Kevin was just 23 years old that summer and still just a few seasons into his NBA career. And yet, he got to play alongside some of the game's greatest legends, including Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, a young LeBron James, and defensive big man Tyson Chandler. Durant quickly formed a connection with his USA teammates and he took the moment as an opportunity to soak in as much knowledge as he could from the best players in the world.
Of course, while LeBron James was the official team captain that year, Kobe Bryant's influence was strong and left a lasting impression on his teammates. Between the star power, depth, and experience at every position, it's no surprise that the USA went undefeated that year and won their games with an average margin of 32.1 points. Durant once claimed that the team was the best in basketball history .
Whatever happened that summer helped Durant reach another level of his game. Over the next four years, he averaged 29.1 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game on 50.6% shooting. He won the MVP in 2014 after averaging 32.0 points per game.
Fast forward to 2024, and Durant is now on the other side of the Team USA experience. Instead of being the young guy who looks up to the legends, he's the legend who is setting the example for everyone else. Every practice and every game, the "unproven" stars like Tyrese Haliburton and Anthony Edwards are learning something new and there is a strong belief that they will take their game up a level just like Durant did during his first few stints in the Olympics.
At 35 years old, it's impressive enough that the Suns superstar is still one of the best players in the world but to still be so far ahead of even the elite players is a testament to how hard he's worked to ensure his longevity.
Related: 2012 USA Dream Team: Where Are They Now?
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