As Kevin Durant continues to cement his legacy with the Houston Rockets, the conversation around his career has expanded beyond NBA milestones and into international territory. With the 2028 Olympic Games set for Los Angeles, questions have swirled about whether the future Hall of Famer will once again don the colors of Team USA, which comes when he will be approaching his 40th birthday.
Speculation intensified after the 2024 Paris Olympics, where Durant added yet another gold medal to his résumé.
Many believed that tournament might serve as a final Olympic chapter for the veteran forward, particularly as peers like LeBron James publicly indicated they would not return.
However, Durant recently clarified his position in an interview with ESPN, pushing back against assumptions that he was ready to step aside.
“Hell yeah, I want to play,” Durant said. “I would love to, but I gotta stay on top of my game.
“I’m not expecting, I want to produce on the floor and make Grant [Hill, the director of USA Basketball] and whoever is making the decisions, want to put me on the team. I don’t want – not just for seniority.
“I want to still prove I can help the team win. Today, yeah, I feel like I’ll put my name in that hat.”
The reference to Grant points to the decision-makers within USA Basketball, the governing body responsible for constructing Olympic rosters.
For Durant, selection is not about reputation but merit. By the time the 2028 Games tip off in Los Angeles, he will be approaching 40 years old – an age rarely associated with Olympic dominance in basketball.
Yet his mindset remains rooted in performance and production rather than sentimentality.
A golden legacy already secure
Few players in the history of USA Basketball have enjoyed the international success that Durant has compiled.
He owns four Olympic gold medals and holds the record for the most points scored for the United States in Olympic competition.
His scoring versatility and ability to close tight games have repeatedly separated Team USA from the rest of the field.
Even if James and potentially Stephen Curry do not return, Durant expressed confidence in the program’s sustained dominance.
Still, he acknowledged the broader debate surrounding American basketball development compared to European systems.
“All I hear is, ‘AAU is destroying the game, the Euros do it right while the Americans do it wrong.’ It’s a lot of bulls**t with that,” Durant said.
“I can read between the lines on that; it’s a shot at Black Americans. We’re controlling the sport; they’re tired of us controlling the sport.”
The comments reflect not only his competitive edge but also his awareness of the cultural narratives surrounding global basketball.
While European nations have narrowed the talent gap, Team USA remains the benchmark, and Durant believes criticism often extends beyond X’s and O’s.
For now, no official roster decisions have been made regarding Los Angeles. But if Durant maintains elite production with the Rockets, his name will undoubtedly surface when USA Basketball begins shaping its 2028 squad.
Read the full article here
