Kevin Durant, 37, is feeling the Olympics call to him yet again. After the United States won gold in both men and women’s hockey in Milano Cortina, the former NBA MVP and the United States’ all-time leading Olympic scorer debunked the theory that 2024 was the last Olympic ride for many of the games biggest stars.
“You guys, the media, have projected that,” Durant told ESPN. “That narrative, where did the last dance thing come from? I didn’t say I wasn’t playing. LeBron said he wasn’t. You didn’t hear that from me or Steph.”
Curry is unlikely to participate in 2028 and James has already said that he will not play. Durant added that he wants to play, but only if he is still at the “top of [his] game.”
He said, “I want to produce on the floor and make Grant and whoever is making the decisions, want to put me on the team.” He continued, “I want to still prove I can help the team win.”
Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant celebrates after scoring in the third quarter against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
Durant’s Olympic resumé
As mentioned earlier, Durant is the United States’ all-time leading scorer at the Olympics. He began his Olympic career in 2012, playing in London.
Durant averaged 19.5 points per game in the London Olympics, all while hitting more than 48.5% of his three-point attempts. Durant has averaged at least 19.8 points per game in every Olympics since with his worst mark coming in 2024, when he averaged just 13.8 points per game in Paris.
The U.S. has won gold at every Olympics Durant has participated in.
When and where will the 2028 Olympics be?
The 2028 Olympics will take place in Los Angeles, California. The basketball games, specifically, will be played at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood.
The first basketball game of the event will take place two days prior to the Opening Ceremonies on Wednesday, July 12, 2028, with the gold medal game not yet set but likely on Sunday, July 30, 2028. Durant will be 39 years old.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kevin Durant wants to play for Team USA at 2028 Olympics
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