Kevin Durant becomes Team USA career scoring leader in Olympics
United States’ Kevin Durant, right, shoots as Brazil’s Georginho de Paula defends during a men’s basketball game at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
PARIS — Kevin Durant stands alone in U.S. Olympic basketball scoring history.
Durant is now the career leader in points for the U.S. in Olympic competition, passing Lisa Leslie for the mark during the Americans’ quarterfinal game against Brazil on Tuesday.
Article continues after this advertisementDurant’s basket with 3:06 left in the third quarter gave him six points in the game and 489 in his four Olympic appearances. Leslie finished her four Olympic appearances with 488 points and four gold medals.
READ: Team USA routs Brazil, rolls into Olympics basketball semifinals
He finished with 11 points, so the new record is 494 — and counting.
“Records are meant to be broken,” Durant said. “Somebody will come along to do the same. I’m focused on trying to win this gold.”
Article continues after this advertisementDurant is bidding to become the first men’s player in Olympic history with four golds after being part of the U.S. teams that won titles at London 2012, Rio de Janeiro 2016 and the Tokyo Games that were held three years ago.
“Training staffs, the work that we put in, just keeping my body ready and just staying in the gym, to be honest,” Durant said when asked last week what he attributes to his longevity.
Durant is the No. 8 scorer in NBA history with 28,924 points, No. 2 on the active list behind only U.S. Olympic teammate LeBron James’ 40,474.
“Well let me start to (congratulate) @KDTrey5 as he gets ready to break one of my Olympic records! The Slim Reaper!! One of my all time favorites!” Leslie wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, last week as the perennial All-Star closed in on her mark.
READ: Team USA steps up quest for fifth straight Olympic gold
And Durant is likely going to keep this record for some time.
He’s one of only five U.S. players with at least 300 points in Olympic competition, joining Leslie, WNBA career scoring leader Diana Taurasi (416 entering the U.S. women’s quarterfinal game Wednesday), the retired Carmelo Anthony (336) and James, who is presumably playing in the Olympics for the final time and entered Tuesday with 316 points in his four appearances.
“He’s one of the most efficient players that ever played this game,” U.S. teammate — and Phoenix Suns teammate — Devin Booker said of Durant.
Durant is also the U.S. career men’s leader in rebounds in Olympic play, entering Tuesday with 126. He secured that record in the group-stage finale Saturday against Puerto Rico, his four rebounds in that game allowing him to pass both Anthony (125) and David Robinson (124) for the top spot there.
Leslie remains — far and away — the career leader in U.S. Olympic play for rebounding with 241 in her 32 games.
Follow Inquirer Sports’ special coverage of the Paris Olympics 2024.
