NEW YORK — Nets star Kevin Durant says it’s too soon to make a decision whether to represent Team USA in the Paris Olympics.
“I’m definitely not going to make [a decision right] now,” Durant said after the Nets’ victory over the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday. “I would say it’s too early right now. They respect my timeline and where we are in a season. We are always in constant communication on what we want to do going forward. So, I’ll have that conversation when it’s time, but for right now, I don’t know.”
But that’s not going to stop Team USA from recruiting the superstar forward who captained the American team to a gold medal in the Summer Olympics in 2021.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who took over head coaching duties of Team USA from Gregg Popovich in December 2021, said he’d begin trying to convince Durant to play for Team USA as soon as he saw him at Barclays Center.
“I know [Team USA managing director] Grant [Hill] and [assistant director] Sean Ford have talked to him, and I will most likely pull him aside tonight, so that would be nice,” Kerr said pregame. “He’s been so dominant with Team USA and he’s a guy who just loves to play, so we’re hoping he decides to keep going.”
Hill and Kerr were waiting for Durant outside the Nets’ interview room while he was speaking to reporters.
Kerr suggested, jokingly, no regular-season or playoff workload for Durant would deter the star forward from playing well into the summer.
The next event on the international basketball calendar is the 2023 FIBA World Cup this summer held in the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia.
Durant is averaging just under 37 minutes per game and led the NBA in total minutes played before the Nets began to manage his workload in their Dec. 10 victory over the Indiana Pacers.
“Kevin loves basketball,” Kerr said with a laugh. “He loves to play. So I’m really hoping he wants to play the next couple of summers. So we’ll just wait and see.”
Durant is Team USA’s all-time leading scorer and won 2021 USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year after a standout performance in the Tokyo Olympics. He is a three-time Olympic gold medalist and averaged 20.7 points per game during the 2021 gold medal run.
Durant was noncommittal about representing Team USA on Wednesday but suggested he would give strong consideration to playing in the Olympics next summer.
“I love my Team USA family. I always want to represent my country, my city, my block, my friends, my family,” he said. “I mean, they give me the opportunity to go on that platform in front of the whole world and showcase what all my people taught me since I was a kid. So definitely got to think about it.”
