Kevin Durant makes clear statement about his Olympic plans

Kevin Durant has made another clear statement about his intentions for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

Durant said he had every intention of playing in the Olympics, and hit back at the perception that the Paris games in 2024 had been his swan song.

“You guys, the media, have projected that,” Durant told Vincent Goodwill of ESPN. “That narrative, where did the last dance thing come from? I didn’t say I wasn’t playing. LeBron said he wasn’t. You didn’t hear that from me or Steph [Curry].

“Hell yeah, I want to play. 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.”

This is similar to what Durant said about playing last year, when he said he would join the team again as long as he was not sitting on the bench. He has made it clear that if he plays, he wants to contribute, not be a bystander or simply a source of veteran guidance.

Durant already has four gold medals to his name and will be pushing 40 by the time the Los Angeles games come around. There is certainly no guarantee that he will still be as feared a player at that point, but if he can still shoot it, USA Basketball will probably be interested.