Current:Home > InvestPoinbank:Will Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant play in Olympics amid calf injury? -WealthMindset Learning
Poinbank:Will Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant play in Olympics amid calf injury?
Rekubit View
Date:2025-04-10 15:59:28
The PoinbankU.S. men's basketball team is loaded like a potato skin at TGI Friday's, but they could be without one of their biggest stars in Paris. Phoenix Suns' forward and former NBA MVP Kevin Durant has been dealing with a calf injury. He missed the entirety of Team USA's five-game exhibition schedule.
Of course, Durant's presence won't make-or-break the United States' chances of winning a gold medal. After all, the team went 5-0 in their pre-Olympics showcase. While a few of the games were closer than anticipated, the United States has the star power to dominate any other country on the planet, with or without Durant.
That said, Durant's presence would certainly be welcome. Even at 35 years old, Durant remains one of the most prolific scorers in the NBA. He can get a bucket from anywhere on the court, which is a skill set any team could use. However, Durant's nagging injury could be serious enough to keep him off the court.
Here are the latest updates on Durant's injury and his availability for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Team USA Basketball Showcase highlights:US squeaks past Germany in final exhibition game
Meet Team USA: See which athletes made the U.S. Olympic team and where they are from
Kevin Durant injury, latest updates:
Team USA still plans on having Durant for Olympics
In a tweet from The Athletic's Joe Vardon yesterday, Vardon explained that while Durant would not be suiting up against Germany in Team USA's final exhibition game, he is still expected to be available for the Olympics.
Vardon also noted that Durant was only expected to miss a week initially, which likely means that the team is just playing it very, very safe with Durant, not wanting to re-agitate his injury before the games start mattering.
Head coach Steve Kerr backed this idea up after the exhibition against Germany, claiming that there was "no thought" to replace Durant on the USA roster.
Kerr would likely be looking for replacements if he was not expected to play in the Olympics, but Kerr's insistence that Durant will not be replaced is a good omen for his availability.
Durant could miss Team USA's first game
Despite Durant's likely availability for the Olympics as a whole, it is still a possibility that he remains sidelined for the team's first game against Serbia.
ESPN's Brian Windhorst said as much on Sportscenter yesterday.
Windhorst does note that Serbia is an "excellent team." Durant would certainly give the United States an extra advantage. However, this is the same Serbia team that the U.S. beat 105-79 during their showcase less than a week ago. That was the U.S.'s biggest win of their showcase, so hopefully Durant wouldn't be a necessity for Team USA.
How long has Durant been dealing with this injury?
According to reports, Durant has been dealing with this calf injury since before Team USA training camp started. The star forward has had a somewhat lengthy injury history over his 17-year NBA career, but none have seemed to have an impact on his game.
Kerr still wants to see Durant put together multiple practices in a row without any setbacks before committing to his return to the court. As noted though, Kerr is very optimistic about Durant's availability moving forward. On Monday, Kerr told reporters, "I talked to him today. He said he was feeling better."
Team USA's game against Serbia is scheduled for July 28. Their next game after that is scheduled for Wednesday, July 31 against the same South Sudan team that nearly beat the United States during their showcase.
Team USA men's basketball:Olympic men's team roster: Who made the cut for Paris Olympics?
veryGood! (68964)
Related
- Brianna LaPaglia Reveals The Meaning Behind Her "Chickenfry" Nickname
- Michigan deputy jumps into action to save 63-year-old man in medical emergency: Video
- Bear injures hiker in Montana's Glacier National Park; section of trail closed
- Jury awards $116M to the family of a passenger killed in a New York helicopter crash
- Whoopi Goldberg is delightfully vile as Miss Hannigan in ‘Annie’ stage return
- Over 137,000 Lucid beds sold on Amazon, Walmart recalled after injury risks
- Son arrested in killing of father, stepmother and stepbrother
- Deadly violence on America's highways wreaks fear, havoc, and frustration
- Spooky or not? Some Choa Chu Kang residents say community garden resembles cemetery
- NFL bold predictions: Who will turn heads in Week 3?
Ranking
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Triathlon
- Biden opens busy foreign policy stretch as anxious allies shift gaze to Trump, Harris
- 11-year-old charged after police say suspicious device brought on school bus in Maine
- See Khloe Kardashian’s Delicious Chocolate Hair Transformation
- Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people
- Diana Taurasi changed the WNBA by refusing to change herself
- Son arrested in killing of father, stepmother and stepbrother
- A cat went missing in Wyoming. 2 months later, he was found in his home state, California.
Recommendation
The Daily Money: Spending more on holiday travel?
Michigan deputy jumps into action to save 63-year-old man in medical emergency: Video
The legacy of 'Lost': How the show changed the way we watch TV
Brett Favre to appear before US House panel looking at welfare misspending
Whoopi Goldberg is delightfully vile as Miss Hannigan in ‘Annie’ stage return
Footage shows NYPD officers firing at man with knife in subway shooting that wounded 4
Kentucky sheriff charged in judge’s death allegedly ignored deputy’s abuse of woman in his chambers
Horoscopes Today, September 20, 2024