Kevin Durant’s recent decision to suit up for Team USA in the Tokyo Olympics this summer turned some heads in the basketball world after the Nets appeared to carefully manage his usage last season.
After all, the 32-year-old All-Star's first season on the floor with the Nets -- after tearing his Achilles with the Warriors in 2019 -- was a roller coaster of brilliant play interspersed with long absences due to a hamstring strain and a stint on the Covid list.
When any semblance of minutes restrictions were lifted in the playoffs, when the ailing Nets needed him most, fans were both thrilled to see the former MVP unleashed -- and bracing for a potential setback.
Thankfully Durant came through unscathed, and with the Nets losing in the conference semifinals, his body was spared a couple more weeks of pounding. But that doesn't mean he's done with competitive basketball until next season -- which some may find surprising considering he played in only 35 of the Nets' 72 games last year.
However, Team USA CEO Bryan Colangelo, speaking with reporters on Monday, said he wasn't surprised at all by Durant's commitment to Team USA, given his past experiences.
“He’s always had that real enthusiasm for playing USA basketball,” Colangelo said, according to the New York Post. “He’s been a real warrior, and I love him as a player and person. The fact he stepped up as he did to commit himself didn’t surprise me. I was very, very pleased. He’s a very important part of our potential success. His leadership is important."
Colangelo the suggested the Games could be a stepping stone for Durant, who is the undisputed veteran star of a Team USA roster that has been replenished with relatively younger and inexperienced talent while some of the stalwarts of recent Olympics have stepped aside.
“Not sure if it helps him in his career next season that comes out of this experience," he said. "What it is, is a love for a game and fulfill a continuing dream of being on that court and playing for all the marbles and playing for a gold medal. That’s the competitiveness in him. If you can raise his competitiveness more than it is today, that’s incredible.
“This guy is a very special individual. I remember him as a freshman at Texas, thinking about entering the draft. I remember meeting him at the Final Four, and I invited him to USA training camp. His eyes were as big as you can imagine. He said, 'I’ll be there.'”
Team USA training camp was set to open July 6 in Las Vegas.
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