Kevin Durant, in his 16-season-long journey, established himself as one of the biggest names in the NBA by showcasing exceptional ball-handling efficiency along with his scoring supremacy. Despite adding prestigious trophies to his name, the Suns forward failed to achieve greater success due to frequent injuries, but not anymore.
KD seems to have found the secret to staying healthy that worked wonders for him this season. The 2-time NBA champion appeared for 75 games in the Phoenix jersey, which is the highest since his Golden State Warriors days. While discussing the topic with sports columnist Duane Rankin, Durant stated, “No players flopped into my legs this year,” as the reason for him staying fit.
Explaining his statement elaborately, the 14-time All-Star recalled how he received MCL injuries in the past two years because of his teammate and an on-court rival falling on him. KD went on to say that he would have played the same number of games, had someone not flopped onto him. Sharing the one lesson he picked up from his experience, Durant added, “Just stay away from the crash dummies.”
The 35-year-old wise forward is aware of who could cause him trouble and stays away from them. The veteran’s discovery will help him in the long run as national team responsibilities await him.
Kevin Durant reportedly selected in USA basketball team for Paris Olympics
The USA Team’s star-studded roster has been revealed for the upcoming Paris Olympics, as per ESPN. Kevin Durant’s name reportedly was included in the eleven men’s roster alongside Suns teammate Devin Booker.
ESPN Sources: USA Basketball is finalizing its 2024 Paris Olympics roster with Steph Curry, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Jayson Tatum, Joel Embiid, Devin Booker, Tyrese Haliburton, Anthony Edwards, Jrue Holiday, Bam Adebayo and Anthony Davis. Team may initially keep one open spot. pic.twitter.com/kO7TREBVDK
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 15, 2024
The 4-time scoring champion, Durant equally flourished in the USA jersey, being the top scorer in the previous Olympics. Appearing in the 2012 London Olympics, Durant set the bar high by averaging 19.5 points, 2.6 assists, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.6 steals and winning the Golden medal without facing a single loss on the way.
Despite declaring that he would not join the USA team in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics due to extreme exhaustion, KD stepped in to put up 19.4 points, 5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game, securing another glittery Gold medal. Durant scored 20.7 points per game in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (which occurred in 2021) and bagged his third Gold medal along with massive recognition.
Good for the USA fans, Durant rarely disappoints when the stakes are high, and the Paris Olympics is surely one of those tournaments of high stakes.
