Kevin Durant entered Team USA’s opening game of the 2024 Olympics against Serbia having not played a single minute in any of their exhibition games due to a calf injury. Any concerns on how effective he will be were put to bed very soon, though, as Durant put on a show and his head coach Steve Kerr was full of praise for him afterward.
“It was incredible but not surprising given what I’ve seen from Kevin in the past,” Durant told Brian Windhorst. “I’ve said it before, I think he’s the most skilled basketball player I’ve ever seen. The game just comes so easily for him and a long layoff like that doesn’t seem to bother him.
“He was brilliant tonight, obviously,” Kerr continued. “Just shifted the game as soon as he got on the floor.”
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The 58-year-old Kerr has been around for quite a while now. He had the privilege of being a teammate of Michael Jordan and played against the likes of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird as well. He has also coached Stephen Curry and coached against LeBron James but would put Durant above all of them in terms of skill.
Kerr had also previously stated that Durant is the most gifted player of all time. He felt that even the likes of Jordan, Magic, and Bird were in awe of the superstar forward.
While I am not sure about those three icons being in awe of Durant, you can make a great case for him as the most skilled player ever. He is a seven-footer who can literally do anything on the court. He can score from anywhere, put the ball on the floor, initiate the offense, and defend.
Durant, who has career averages of 27.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game, is also the most malleable superstar we have ever seen. He can be effective in any sort of system and even if he has never played with a particular group of players, he doesn’t need time to adjust.
That’s what we saw against Serbia as Durant just slotted in and dominated. The 35-year-old came off the bench with Team USA down 19-14 and turned the tide of the contest completely.
Durant hit a three on his very first offensive play and didn’t look back from then on. The 14-time All-Star would put up 21 points in the first half alone and was a perfect 8-8 from the field in the period. He ensured there would be no upset, as Team USA went on to comfortably win 110-84.
Dwyane Wade Was In Awe Of Kevin Durant After His Showing Against Serbia
Durant finished the game with 23 points and 2 rebounds in just under 17 minutes and Dwyane Wade was in awe of him. Wade hailed Durant as a living legend after his dominant showing in Paris.
“I’m sitting here thinking about what KD just did tonight. I just watched one of the greatest basketball moments in my lifetime. Living Legend!”
Wade had front-row seats to watch that epic showing from Durant, as he called the game for NBC. The Phoenix Suns star has become one of the more hated players in the NBA over the years, thanks largely to that move to the Golden State Warriors, and I think fans need to appreciate him more while he is still around. We are all witnessing greatness and will miss Durant sorely when he walks away from the game.
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