Kevin Durant trains with Team USA, aims for exhibition game

Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant, who is still nursing a calf injury, practiced with Team USA for the first time on Friday and could play in one of the two remaining exhibition games before the Paris Olympics, coach Steve Kerr said.

“I would love him to play but we have to take it day by day,” Kerr said on Friday as the team prepared for Saturday night’s match against South Sudan in London.

“He’s going to practice a bit today and then we’ll see where he is tomorrow.”

Durant, 35, suffered the injury in the days leading up to the start of Team USA camp in early July. Durant would not commit to playing in the exhibition games, but said he is seeing “progress every day.”

“It’s one of those things you just have to monitor every day and see how I feel after I do certain movements and exercises,” he said. “But my thing is just keep working through it and see what happens.”

The US team plays Germany on Tuesday and then heads to Paris for the Olympic Games.

Durant has won three gold medals and is one of the greatest players in U.S. Olympic basketball history.

He leads the Americans all-time in points (435), points per game (19.8), field goals (146), 3-point field goals (74) and free throws (69). He also ranks third in rebounds (118) and blocks (16) and fourth in games played (24) and assists (71).

At the last three Olympic Games, he led the tournament in average points per game: 20.7 (2020, Tokyo), 19.5 (2012, London) and 19.4 (2016, Rio de Janeiro).

The Americans, vying for a fifth consecutive gold medal, open pool play at the Paris Olympics on July 28 against Serbia, followed by games against South Sudan (July 31) and Puerto Rico (August 3).

–Field Level Media