It wasn’t an easy season in Brooklyn for Kevin Durant.
In his first season back from an Achilles tear, Durant was reduced to 35 regular-season games because of hamstring, thigh and COVID-19 issues. Then KD was forced to play every minute in two of the final three playoffs games — including 53 minutes in the Game 7 overtime loss to Milwaukee on June 19.
Yet Team USA CEO Jerry Colangelo had a gut feeling Durant would still want to play in the Tokyo Olympics late next month — just from what he remembered of Durant 14 years ago.
“This guy is a very special individual,’’ Colangelo said on a Zoom conference call Monday announcing the Team USA squad. “I remember him as a freshman at Texas, thinking about entering the draft. I remember meeting him at the Final Four and invited him to USA training camp. His eyes were as big as you can imagine. He said, “I’ll be there.”
And will be there again July 6 for Olympic training camp in Las Vegas.
Kevin Durant takes in the Yankees game on Monday night. Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post“He’s always had that real enthusiasm for playing USA basketball,” Colangelo said. “He’s been a real warrior and 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.’’
Durant, 32, becomes just the fourth USA men’s player to compete in three or more Olympics, joining Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James and David Robinson. Durant won Olympic gold in 2012 and 2016.
Durant will try to win the Nets their first NBA title next season and more wear and tear on his Achilles and hamstring might not be the best. But there’s other variables that make this the right thing to do.
“Not sure if it helps him in his career next season that comes out of this experience,’’ Colangelo 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.’’
