Could we see Kevin Durant draped in the United States flag, winning a fifth gold medal as part of the Los Angeles Olympics in two years? He absolutely wants to — but only if he earns the spot, he told Vincent Goodwill of ESPN.
"Hell yeah, I want to play," Durant said. "I would love to, but I've got to stay on top of my game. I'm not expecting, I want to produce on the floor and make Grant and whoever is making the decisions, want to put me on the team. I don't want — not just for seniority. I want to still prove I can help the team win."
"Today, yeah I feel like I'll put my name in that hat."
Durant was at the heart of the USA team that won a fifth-straight men's basketball gold medal in 2024 in Paris. LeBron James, who will be 43 at the time of the Los Angeles Games, has suggested he will not play, while Stephen Curry (who will be 39 at the time) has largely said it's too early to say.
The USA roster in Los Angeles should be stacked — but it also will face the toughest road to a gold the team has ever seen. Players likely invited to the 2028 USA squad include Anthony Edwards, Jayson Tatum, Cade Cunningham, Chet Holmgren, Donovan Mitchell and Tyrese Maxey.
The USA beat France in the gold medal game in Paris, but repeating that will be difficult with France having peak Victor Wembanyama in the paint and real depth around him — there are currently 16 other French players in the NBA, including Washington's Alex Sarr and Bilal Coulibaly. This will be a stacked team as well. And that's not including potentially Nikola Jokic leading a good Serbian squad, Giannis Antetokounmpo leading Greece, and Luka Doncic leading Slovenia.
There is no easy route to gold in men's Olympic basketball anymore, but the USA would look better with Kevin Durant.