ESPN: USA ‘Would Give’ Kevin Durant ‘Provisional Yes Right Now’ for 2028 LA Olympics

Zach BacharContributor IAugust 12, 2024

Christina Pahnke – sampics/Getty Images

Kevin Durant’s status for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles is uncertain, although the U.S. men’s national team is reportedly interested in his return.

“I would not rule out KD playing, and I talked with Team USA officials, and they would give him a provisional yes right now,” ESPN’s Brian Windhorst revealed during Monday’s episode of The Hoop Collective (49:50 mark).

Durant is already an Olympic legend, as his four gold medals are the most in men’s basketball history. He’s also Team USA’s all-time leading scorer in the Olympics and has appeared on every U.S. squad at the Games since 2012.

The Phoenix Suns superstar was noncommittal when asked about returning to the national team, although he didn’t rule it out entirely.

The two-time NBA champion played a pivotal role off the bench for the United States during the team’s latest run in Paris before eventually starting during the gold medal contest against France.

NBC Olympics & Paralympics @NBCOlympicsLEBRON REJECTION + KD TRIPLE. Gold medal game off to an ELECTRIC start. 👀#ParisOlympics | 📺 NBC and Peacock pic.twitter.com/TfDTOwdzd0

Through six appearances, Durant averaged 13.8 points and 3.2 rebounds per game while shooting 54.0 percent from the field and 51.9 percent from behind the arc.

He’ll be 39 years old during the Los Angeles Olympics, and he could choose to skip the Games. Durant’s health will also be a potential factor, as uncertainty initially surrounded his status for Paris after he missed Team USA’s exhibition contests due to a calf strain.

However, it appears that the door is still open for the opportunity to his extend his gold medal record if he chooses to compete on the Olympic stage once again.