Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant went viral after he posted an Instagram story that seemingly called out Nike after he was excluded from their recent 2024 Paris Olympics advertisement, which featured the likes of fellow Olympians LeBron James, Victor Wembanyama, and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Credit: Kevin Durant/Instagram
“@nike tell me, Am I a bad person?????” Durant posted, which happens to be the first line of the ad. The two-time NBA champion followed that up with photos from the previous Olympic teams he had been on with captions saying “Been wit yall every step of the way @nike” and “Even during the quarantine Olympics @nike”
The Nike commercial had the tagline “Winning Isn’t for Everyone” and was narrated by Willem Dafoe. Nike also had athletes from other sports like Serena Williams, Kylian Mbappe, A’ja Wilson, and Sha’Carri Richardson.
Kevin Durant has been with the brand since his rookie year in 2007 and has had 17 signature sneaker models with them. He also signed a lifetime contract with Nike in 2023, so his exclusion is bizarre because he is among the brand’s top athletes.
Kevin Durant turns his focus to the Paris Olympics
Kevin Durant will be one of the key players for Team USA, as they aim to win their fifth consecutive gold medal at the Olympics. If Durant wins his fourth Olympic gold, he will cement his legacy as one of the greatest players ever for Team USA because he will become the first four-time men’s basketball gold medalist in Olympic history.
The Phoenix Suns star is Team USA’s all-time points leader at the Olympics with 435 points, and he can add on to that in Paris, starting next week.
Durant didn’t play in any of Team USA’s first three exhibition games due to a calf injury, but he is on track to return because he practiced with the team on Friday.
