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[Saba Sports News] Kevin Durant became the most decorated men’s basketball player in Team USA history this summer, earning his fourth Gold medal and becoming the national team’s all-time leading scorer and rebounder. While many assume this was his last Olympic run at 36, Brian Windhorst revealed that Team USA officials still see Durant as a potential option for the 2028 roster.
“I won’t rule out Durant playing in 2028,” Windhorst said. “Team USA officials would give him a provisional yes right now.” A fifth Gold would solidify Durant’s status as the greatest men’s USA basketball player, and the opportunity to achieve that on home soil in LA might be too tempting to pass up.
Given LeBron James’ impressive performance just shy of his 40th birthday, there’s no reason to doubt Durant can stay at an elite level by 2028. Despite battling a calf injury, Durant averaged 13.8 points at the 2024 Games.
As Durant begins his 18th NBA season, thoughts of retirement naturally cross his mind. While he still has plenty left in the tank, each season becomes more challenging with age. Modern medicine and LeBron’s longevity offer hope, but Durant admits the idea of retirement lingers.
“With the league getting younger, I do think about retirement more,” Durant shared. “It’s not constant, but it’s on my mind. I honestly don’t know what I’ll do next. I have a lot of interests and definitely want to stay around the game, but I need time to figure out who I am outside of basketball.”
Durant averaged 27.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 5.0 assists last season. He’s focused on an NBA title run with the Suns this year, with retirement thoughts on hold for now.