If there is one player who has continued to show up for Team USA down through the years, it is most certainly Kevin Durant. This summer in Paris at the Olympic Games he is going for what would be a record-setting fourth gold medal.
Wild when you consider this is Stephen Curry's first chance at winning it all at an Olympics, while plenty of other superstars have seen playing for their country as a chore in the past. Not Durant though, whose love for the game has led to his newfound admiration for one of his current teammates.
With Durant now in the record books for another reason with his country, it is clear he should have been the flagbearer at the Opening Ceremony.
That honor of course went to LeBron James - who is certainly more well known around the world than Durant - but who doesn't have the national team resume of his good friend. James is only going for his third gold, and he's also not the all-time leading scorer in Team USA history at the Olympics. That would be Durant.
But against Puerto Rico in the final game of pool play, Durant also notched another impressive record that will take some time to beat. Despite coming off the bench so far - and enjoy doing so - Durant was again amongst the accolades as he became the leading rebounder in the history of Team USA as well.
"It's cool to do that type of stuff but we're trying to get this gold."
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) August 3, 2024
Kevin Durant as he became Team USA all-time leader in rebounds in men's Olympic basketball play after Saturday's 104-83 win over Puerto Rico.
126 rebounds to pass Carmelo Anthony at 125. #Suns #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/TujIJ1HNDv
Which again begs the question, why was he not carrying that flag instead of LeBron? Nobody loves basketball like Durant - he was in attendance to watch the women's team beat Germany in exhibition play in London - and he better personifies what it means to represent his country.
In his time playing for his country, he has willingly gone from being the star that they lean on to get them buckets, to the 35-year-old who has no problem coming off the bench. All he's done in between is collect those gold medals, while also picking up those individual statistical honors.
Say what you want about Durant, but the rebounding title in particular is impressive, and it makes sense given how committed he was to defending at a high level for the Phoenix Suns last season. After a particularly impressive showing against Serbia to open the Olympics, it is also possible he leads this team in scoring from off the bench from here on out.
LeBron James is possibly the most famous athlete in the world. Kevin Durant is not. But when you think about what both have done for their country - although James has done and continues to do plenty - this is one area where Durant shades him. Shane Lowry and Sarah Lavin were joint flagbearers for their country. Ever heard of them? Exactly. This should have been Durant's moment.