Kevin Durant admits he was ‘nervous’ during rehab in push for Team USA return

It didn't take long on Sunday for Kevin Durant to remind everyone that he's Team USA's all-time leading scorer. Durant, who was making his return from a calf injury, came off the bench for the United States, entering with his team trailing by five in what was ultimately a 110-84 victory.

Durant's fourth trip to the Olympics began with two first-quarter three-pointers, and he proceeded to knock down his first eight shot attempts from the field, five of which were from beyond the arc. He wrapped up the victory with 23 points in 17 minutes and quickly removed any concerns of rust after the long layoff.

But while Durant immediately reverted to the form that has wowed NBA fans throughout his career, he admitted to being nervous during the rehab process, especially when he'd have a minor setback.

"When you're going through a rehab, especially when you want it to happen pretty quickly," Durant said via Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic . "You've got a short amount of time together. There were days I had good days and then I had a little setback here and there. I was nervous a little bit."

Fortunately for Team USA, Durant's return from injury played out like a scene from a movie. But even one of the most decorated players in basketball admitted that he was tired after the game, stating that he was still getting used to the game's intensity.

"I was tired, I'm not going to lie to you," Durant said. "My lungs were getting used to the intensity of the game, but it felt good to make some shots. I know everybody played their role pretty well. My role was to come in, provide spacing and shot-making for the team. Glad I was able to knock them down."

Durant's impact in 17 minutes was more than enough to help propel Team USA after a slow start in the first quarter. He led the team in scoring and, alongside fellow longtime NBA superstar LeBron James, who scored 21 points with nine assists and seven rebounds, helped the United States make a statement with the victory over Nikola Jokic and company.

Next up for the gold medal favorites is a date with South Sudan, who took down Puerto Rico 90-79 in its opener. They also nearly stunned Team USA in an Olympic warmup just over one week ago, with the Americans pulling out a 101-100 victory.