Kevin Durant Intends to Suit Up for Team USA at 2028 Los Angeles Games
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Star forward Kevin Durant told ESPN he plans to play for the United States in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, provided he is still performing at a high level.
Durant, 37 at the time of the interview and a four-time Olympic gold medalist, will be approaching 40 when the Games begin. He said he has already informed USA Basketball managing director Grant Hill of his desire to return.
“Hell yeah, I want to play,” Durant said. “I’ve got to stay on top of my game … I want to still prove I can help the team win.”
The Phoenix Suns star dismissed speculation that the 2024 Paris Olympics would mark his final appearance alongside veterans such as LeBron James and Stephen Curry. “That narrative—where did the last dance thing come from? I didn’t say I wasn’t playing,” he said, noting that James has ruled himself out for 2028 while Curry currently appears unlikely to participate.
Durant, the all-time leading scorer for the U.S. men’s program, also pushed back against criticism of American grassroots basketball. He challenged the idea that international players have surpassed their U.S. counterparts, pointing to recent NBA MVP winners Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as examples often cited in that debate.
“All I hear is, ‘AAU is destroying the game; the Euros do it right while the Americans do it wrong,’” Durant said. “It’s a lot of bull—. I can read between the lines on that. It’s a shot at Black Americans. We’re controlling the sport. They’re tired of us controlling the sport.”
The 2028 tournament would give Durant a chance to add to a résumé that already includes gold medals from the 2012, 2016, 2021 and 2024 Games.
Source: ESPN
