Kevin Durant didn’t hold back during Team USA’s 103-86 win over South Sudan at the 2024 Olympics.
Kevin Durant was letting his words fly during Team USA’s 103-86 win over South Sudan in the group stages of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
As Team USA ran out to a blowout win, Durant had choice words for the South Sudanese team and their head coach Royal Ivey.
“Y’all n****s ain’t tough.”
Durant came off the bench and put up 14 points (2-5 FG, 2-2 3PT) in the win for Team USA over South Sudan. Durant is currently shooting 100% from three in Paris 2024, having gone 5-5 from 3-point range in Team USA’s win over Serbia.
This was mostly in good humor from Durant, who has a relationship with Coach Ivey. Ivey currently serves as the lead assistant on the Houston Rockets under coach Ime Udoka and has made great use of a golden generation of talent for the South Sudan national team. The country was officially recognized in 2016 and this is their first-ever appearance in basketball at the Olympics.
South Sudan might have had to endure trash-talk from Durant but is well-placed to advance to the quarter-finals right now. Their next game against Serbia will be incredibly challenging, but they could still qualify with a loss depending on the margin of victory in the Brazil-Japan game in Group B.
Coach K Calls Kevin Durant The Greatest Hooper In Olympic History
The all-time leading scorer in the Olympics for the USA is being hailed as the greatest basketball player in the history of the event, a billing he keeps living up to when he plays.
His status as the greatest basketball player in the history of the Olympics might be questioned by international fans, but former Team USA Gold-medal-winning head coach Mike Krzyzewski believes that Durant has already taken the mantle of the greatest, with a possible fourth Gold medal in Paris further enhancing his status.
“I think he is because of longevity and accomplishment. It’s unique, but the amount of points he’s scored, he’s scored a lot more than anyone else. When he scored in Istanbul in 2010, he averaged 33 points a game in the medal round. Obviously, in London, he was a part of a huge team that we had with LeBron and Kobe. In 2016, Rio, he was by far the best scorer and really led us to the Gold medal.”
“What he did against Serbia does not surprise me. He may have been resting his leg, but his touch doesn’t need any rest. It’s one of the best ever in the world.”
It’s not a hot take to put Durant No. 1 in Team USA history given his consistent dedication to the national team and pure statistical domination on the scoring charts. Durant has the third-most made 3-pointers in Olympic history, making 81 shots on just 155 attempts, a whopping 52.3% conversion rate.
Something about the FIBA rule set unlocks Durant’s ability to dominate offensively even more than normal, which is why Team USA has been able to continue their domination at the highest level over the last 16 years.
We don’t know if Durant will try and run it back at the 2028 Olympics at age 40, but if he does, he’ll make sure it’s a good selection.