Team USA is looking to go for the kill right away when they take on France, as head coach Steve Kerr bared he will insert Kevin Durant into the starting five in the Paris Olympics gold medal match this weekend. With Durant in, Jrue Holiday will be moved to a bench role.
The Phoenix Suns forward came off the bench for the entirety of the quadrennial meet thus far since he was dealing with a strained calf that caused him to miss all five exhibition matches in the run-up to Paris.
However, Durant remains a vital cog for the national team, averaging 13.6 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game on 58/61/93 shooting splits.
Kevin Durant was pivotal in Team USA’s 95-91 comeback victory against Serbia last Thursday. The two-time NBA champion tallied nine points and three rebounds while going 3-for-6 from the field, and he hit the dagger pull-up jumper with 34 seconds left.
Kevin Durant is aiming to make his last hurrah count with Team USA
Kevin Durant will be looking to be the second Team USA player alongside Carmelo Anthony to have four Olympic gold medals under his belt. Entering Saturday, the Phoenix Suns superstar has won three (2012, 2016, and 2020), averaging 29.6 points per game in those gold medal matches.
During the quarterfinals against Brazil, Durant surpassed Lisa Leslie’s record of 488 points to become the country’s all-time Olympic leading scorer, and he can add more to his total later.
Team USA’s gold medal match against France could also be the last time Kevin Durant, LeBron James, and Stephen Curry share a basketball court as teammates in what will be the end of an era.
