Getty Image / Gregory Shamus
Team USA forward Kevin Durant missed USA Basketball’s pre-Olympics exhibition games in the run-up to the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris with a calf injury. The 35-year-old was missed, as the USA struggled in multiple exhibition games, pulling out nail-biting wins against both South Sudan and Germany.
Thankfully for the Stars and Stripes, Kevin Durant was back in action for Sunday’s Olympic Pool Play opener against Nikola Jokic and Serbia. Instead of easing back into competitive basketball, Kevin Durant played arguably the greatest half in Olympic history.
Durant was a complete flamethrower in the first half, going 8-8 for 21 points, six of those makes from outside the paint en route to a 58-49 USA lead at halftime
The Slim Reaper didn’t enter the game until late in the first quarter. From then on, he was sublime.
@nbcolympics ZERO missed shots for Kevin Durant in the first half. Easy money. 🔥 📺 NBC and Peacock #ParisOlympics #nba #usabasketball #kevindurant
Here’s his shot chart.
Kevin Durant in the first half of his first game back for Team USA:
21 points
8-of-8 FG
5-of-5 3PT
Played 8 minutes, 39 seconds pic.twitter.com/xMP9E293vc— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) July 28, 2024
As good as the highlights look, watching it live was even better. He’s one of the best pure scorers of all-time, we all know that. But, even the best scorers would be pleased by making 50% of their jumpers. He just simply refused to miss. Not even that, but his shots were hardly hitting the rim! He was simply unconscious. His fadeaway jumper to end the first half elicited a chuckle out of me, and I’m sure millions of viewers had similar reactions.
Kevin Durant was not the only American to go perfect from the field in the first half, as Lebron was 5-5 as well. Together, they scored 34 points before one of them missed a shot.
If Team USA shoots like this, they will bring home a fifth-straight gold medal.