Basketball

Kevin Durant chasing record-breaking fourth Olympic men’s basketball gold medal

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4 months ago

July 28, 2024

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Kevin Durant chasing record-breaking fourth Olympic men’s basketball gold medal

NBA superstar Kevin Durant is seeking Olympics history with a record-breaking fourth Olympics gold medal in men’s basketball. He enters the Paris Olympics with three, tied with Carmelo Anthony for the most ever.

Durant, 35, who plays for the NBA’s Phoenix Suns, has been a mainstay of Team USA’s men’s basketball team over the past three Olympics: 2012, 2016, 2020.

If Durant wins a fourth gold medal, he would be the sole holder of the record of most men’s basketball Olympics gold medals. If Durant and his Olympics teammate, LeBron James, win a medal of any kind this Games, he will tie the record for most overall men’s basketball Olympics medals with four.

“I want to really make a statement on how dominant our players are. Like 40, 50-point wins. I want to do that,” Durant told NBC Olympics in June.

Durant seems to excel in Olympics competition. He was named the MVP in Tokyo where he led Team USA with 20.7 points per game. Entering Paris, Durant also has the top two records for most points in a single Olympics by an American (with 156 and 155). He has scored a total of 435 career points in Olympics basketball, a men’s record.

Durant also entered Paris as the American male basketball player with the third-most Olympics rebounds in their career (118, 5.4 rpg) and the fourth-most assists (71, 3.2 apg).

Team USA is the heavy favorite to repeat as gold medalists in Paris, which would allow Durant to not only get his record-breaking fourth gold medal but also to set many new records and add to any already extremely impressive Olympics resume.

Durant with his fourth gold would also become the first male athlete in Olympic history to win four gold medals in a team sport.

Here are five things to know about two-time NBA champion and Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant.

How did Kevin Durant do in the game against Serbia?

Kevin Durant played lights out in the team’s first game against Serbia on July 28 and helped the team to a 110-84 win.

Durant scored 23 points, shooting 8-of-9 from the field and hitting 5-for-5 on three pointers.

LeBron James, who made eight of his first nine shots, finished with 21 points, nine assists and eight rebounds.

USA men’s basketball will next play South Sudan on Wednesday, July 31.

Where is Kevin Durant from?

Kevin Durant is originally from the Washington, D.C. area in Prince George’s County, Maryland.

Where did Kevin Durant go to high school?

Kevin Durant attended National Christian Academy in Fort Washington, Maryland and Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Virgina.

For senior year, he attended Montrose Christian High School in Rockville, which the Washington Post called a “powerhouse” and “hoops factory.”

Where did Kevin Durant go to college?

He went to the University of Texas and was the second pick in the 2007 draft by the Seattle SuperSonics.

What NBA teams has Kevin Durant played on?

Durant was drafted by the Seattle SuperSonics, which became the Oklahoma City Thunder. Durant then played for the Golden State Warriors, where he won two titles. He played for several seasons for the Brooklyn Nets.

Since 2023, he has played for the Phoenix Suns. In the fall of 2024, he’ll start his second season with the team.

Durant’s accolades include: NBA MVP, 2-time finals MVP, 2-time NBA champion (with the Golden State Warriors), Rookie of the Year, 11-time All-NBA, and two-time NBA All-Star MVP.

How do I watch USA men’s basketball at the Olympics in 2024?

Team USA’s men’s basketball games will all air live and in replays on Peacock. In addition, many of the competitions will be shown on NBC or USA network.

When does Team USA men’s basketball play?

Group Stage

First game in the group stage is Sunday, July 28 at 11:15 a.m. against Nikola Jokic and Serbia. The game will be live on NBC and Peacock, and replayed in the evening on USA.
Second game in the group stage is Wednesday, July 31 at 2:45 p.m. ET against South Sudan. The game will be live on USA network and Peacock. The game will replay at 1 a.m. Thursday on USA network.
Third game in the group stage will be on Saturday, Aug. 3 at 11:15 a.m. against Puerto Rico. The game will air live on NBC and Peacock. The game will replay at 6 p.m. on USA network.

The men’s basketball quarterfinals will be on Tuesday, Aug. 6 starting at 5 a.m. ET.

The men’s basketball semifinals will be on Thursday, Aug. 8 at 11:30 a.m. and 2:45 p.m ET and air on USA network.

The men’s basketball bronze medal match will be on Saturday, Aug. 10 at 5 a.m. ET on USA network and replay at 1 p.m. on USA.

The men’s basketball gold medal match will air live on NBC at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Aug. 10. It will replay at 12 a.m. ET on Sunday, Aug. 11 on USA network.