Phoenix Suns superstar and Team USA all-time leading scorer Kevin Durant will reportedly get his first start of the 2024 Paris Olympics in Saturday’s gold medal game against France.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported on X: “Team USA is planning to start all-time leading scorer Kevin Durant vs. France in Saturday’s Gold Medal game at the Paris Olympics, per sources. Jrue Holiday is expected to come off the USA bench.”
Team USA is planning to start all-time leading scorer Kevin Durant vs. France in Saturday's Gold Medal game at the Paris Olympics, per sources. Jrue Holiday is expected to come off the USA bench. pic.twitter.com/UrYgyhyTUY
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 9, 2024
This means Durant will start alongside Stephen Curry, Devin Booker, LeBron James and Joel Embiid, the lineup that closed out Thursday’s 17-point comeback 95-91 victory over Serbia in the semifinals. The U.S. outscored Serbia 32-15 in the final period with primarily this unit. This news is also a big deal for Booker, who will start alongside four former MVPs, cementing just how good of a role player he has been this Olympics.
Durant had never come off the bench in his international career before this summer, but had for all five of the team’s games in Paris. Coach Steve Kerr made the decision to have Durant be a reserve in the first Olympic game to ease him back from a calf strain that sidelined him for all five of the U.S.’s exhibition games. Durant was playing so well off the bench and the U.S. was succeeding that Kerr never made a change to the bench unit, and previously said there were “no plans” to start Durant because of how well the bench played.
However, this move suddenly became obvious after the dominant closing stretch of last game and the fact that the U.S. bench only had eight points through three quarters against Serbia, struggling mightily on both ends. This could also mean that Jayson Tatum is reinserted into the lineup to fill Durant’s spot on the bench after he didn’t play against Serbia.
Durant has averaged 13.6 points on 57.9% shooting from the floor and 61.1% shooting from 3 in 20.5 minutes per game in the Pariss Olympics. He will now notably matchup against NBA Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama, who he has complimented several times in the past, on France.
Durant has a very good history in Olympic gold medal games, posting point totals of 30 (2012), 30 (2016) and 29 (2021) in his three career Olympic championships, which were all wins for Team USA. He recorded 29 points and six rebounds to lead the U.S. to an 87-82 win over France in the gold medal game in 2021 at the Tokyo Olympics.
Kevin Durant in Team USA’s 87-82 gold medal win over France at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021
29 PTS (9-18 FG)
6 REB
3 AST
1 BLKDurant’s career point totals in gold medal games: 30, 30, 29
???????? x ???????? ???? rematch coming Saturday#USABMNT #2024Paris #Olympics pic.twitter.com/tlJjsxsNxP
— Burn City Suns Talk ????️ (@BurnCitySuns) August 8, 2024
Tomorrow’s game against France begins at 12:30 p.m. MST, as Team USA looks for its fifth-straight gold medal and Durant seeks his fourth straight.
Kevin Durant reflects on ‘memorable’ Team USA comeback win over Serbia
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Brendan Mau is a senior writer covering the Phoenix Suns and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @Brendan_Mau
