In a recent chat with reporters, Suns star Kevin Durant finally revealed his plans for the summer of 2024. After watching Team USA get embarrassed in the FIBA World Cup, the 2x Finals MVP says he’s fully ready to commit to joining the roster next year for the Olympic Games in Paris.
“I’m 100% committed,” Durant told Yahoo Sports. “It’s on whoever is making the calls. They put the team together, they make the calls, but yeah, I’m committed to playing this summer. If they would have me on the team.”
Durant helped lead the U.S. to Gold in 2020 as one of the best players in the world, but he was absent from the team for the 2023 World Cup when they arguably needed him the most. Without Durant, or really any top-tier superstar, Team USA didn’t have enough juice to beat the rising competition around the world and ultimately failed to even bring home the bronze.
The Decline Of USA Basketball
Up until 1992, Team USA sent amateur players to represent the country for the games but that obviously changed when the ‘Dream Team’ made its debut. That summer, Team USA was absolutely stacked with an unprecedented lineup that featured legends like Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird. That team set the stage for the USA’s dominance in the sport and it became the new standard for what fans would expect from them every summer. We also got to watch the 2008 ‘Redeem Team’ torch the world with Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Dwyane Wade all playing together.
Slowly but surely, however, the rest of the world began catching up with the USA, and the rise of international talent made it increasingly difficult for them to keep their lead over everyone else. The result has been a complete decline of Team USA in the world basketball scene which culminated this past summer when they lost to Germany and Canada en route to a 4th place finish.
Stars Are Assembling For The 2024 Tokyo Games
The good news for Team USA is that their loss in the FIBA World Cup has galvanized some of the game’s top superstars to seek redemption. Durant is obviously on board to join, but LeBron James is also considered a strong candidate to sign up and he’s expected to recruit other top players like Stephen Curry and Damian Lillard. Last week, Joel Embiid made headlines by picking to represent the USA over France, who went out of their way to secure Embiid’s French citizenship.
So with a number of elites already punching their ticket for Tokyo, Team USA stands. a pretty good chance of making amends for their poor showing in the Philippines this summer. The question is, what happens after it’s all said and done? For continued prosperity, the US will need more superstar participation and they won’t be able to rely on LeBron, Durant, and Curry forever. For now, though all eyes are on next summer as pressure mounts from all sides for Team USA to re-take their place at the top of the basketball hierarchy.
We sincerely appreciate and respect you as a reader of our site. It would help us a lot if you follow us on Google News because of the latest update.
Thanks for following us. We really appreciate your support.
