But Durant has something else going for him in the basketball world — emphasis on “world.”
“I’ve always felt that Kevin Durant is the best international player ever,” Jim Boeheim, the former Team USA assistant and longtime Syracuse coach, told The Post.
It’s notable that Boeheim singled out Durant because logic indicates he’d be partial to Carmelo Anthony, the Team USA stalwart who led Syracuse to its only NCAA title in 2003.
But Durant, who set the nation’s Olympic scoring record Tuesday for men and women, is tailor made for international ball because he won’t be double-teamed on Team USA and is unstoppable one-on-one.
“Carmelo is right there. Kevin is just — he just destroys these guys,” said Boeheim, who won Olympic gold as an assistant in 2008, 2012 and 2016. “He’s 7-foot tall. I remember these games, he would make three or four in a row from way out. And the other coach would just throw up his hands like, ‘What are we supposed to do?’ LeBron [James], you can try to guard him. You can try to keep him outside and hope he doesn’t make something. But Kevin, you can’t do anything with him.”
Kevin Durant #7 and Lebron James #6 of Team United States contest for a rebound with Bruno Caboclo #51 of Team Brazil. Getty Images
Nearing 36 years old and unable to practice in the lead-up to the tournament because of a calf injury, Durant is second on Team USA in scoring while shooting a ridiculous 60 percent from the field, 62.5 percent on 3-pointers and 93 percent on free throws.
Two more victories — including in Wednesday’s semifinal against Serbia — and Durant would surpass Carmelo and become men’s basketball’s only four-time Olympic champion.
“That’s Captain America status,” Team USA guard Devin Booker told NBC. “Now we just have to get him his fourth gold.”
Kevin Durant looks on during the quarterfinal between USA and Brazil. Getty Images
In the NBA, Durant has largely been forgotten in the GOAT argument.
He hasn’t finished higher than seventh in the MVP voting since 2018 or advanced past the second round of the playoffs since 2019. It’s been three years since Durant won a postseason series.
But he and LeBron, in particular, have turned back the clock in these Olympics.
Team USA is a 17.5-point favorite against Serbia, which boasts Nikola Jokic at center but lost by 24 to the Americans in group play.
In that July 28 matchup, the Americans, boasting a frontcourt rotation with Joel Embiid, Anthony Davis and Bam Adebayo, did enough to hold Jokic to his least efficient game.
On the other end, the Serbians had no answer for Durant, who scored 23 points in 17 minutes off the bench on 8 of 9 shooting.
Kevin Durant #7 of Team USA dribbles the ball during the game against Team Brazil. NBAE via Getty Images
Then on Tuesday, he toppled Lisa Leslie’s all-time scoring record for Team USA. While Durant’s NBA legacy has stagnated , his international one is still on a steep climb upward.
“He won the Rio final for us [in 2016 coincidentally against Serbia, when Durant had 30 points compared to Jokic’s six],” Boeheim said. “He was great in London [in 2012]. He’s a phenomenal international player.”
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