Kevin Durant EXCLUSIVE: Mavs’ Kyrie Irving 'Most Skilled to Ever Play,’ Team USA & More
DALLAS — Earlier this week, Dallas Mavericks superstar Kyrie Irving was selected to the 41-player pool for USA Basketball ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. While the final roster remains to be seen, Irving could be among the 12 players selected to participate.
One player Irving could play alongside again on Team USA is Phoenix Suns superstar Kevin Durant, who also was included in the player pool. In addition to their time as teammates with the Brooklyn Nets, Durant and Irving helped guide Team USA to an Olympic gold medal in Rio De Janeiro in 2016.
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Durant feels that the team bonded closely because of how they stayed on a boat in Brazil throughout the team's Olympic journey, including getting to know his future NBA teammate in Irving more.
"Yeah, it was a weird time. We stayed on a boat in Rio the whole time, so we definitely just got to know each other really tight," Durant told DallasBasketball.com before his Suns defeated the Mavs on Wednesday. "All the guys on the team got to know each other really closely, and Kyrie was somebody that I got to know pretty well.
Fresh off helping the Cleveland Cavaliers win the 2016 NBA Finals against the 73-9 Golden State Warriors, Irving was a valuable leader for Team USA.
"He was just coming off winning the championship. His impact and leadership were key for our team," Durant said of Irving. "He did his job and enjoyed playing with them."
Durant explained how the camaraderie with the best basketball players in the world was the highlight of the experience when playing for Team USA. Everyone is focused on doing whatever it takes to win while creating a fun environment.
"Just the camaraderie, the brotherhood, knowing that we have the best basketball players in the world trying to compete for one common goal, and nothing else matters but winning," Durant said. "So, that's just a fun culture to be a part of."
If Durant wins a gold medal with Team USA this summer, it'll mark the fourth of his basketball career after achieving this feat in 2012 in London, 2016 in Rio De Janeiro, and 2021 in Tokyo. As one of the veterans who've already reached the end goal multiple times in the international setting, Durant highlighted the importance of being selfless as a collective.
"Selflessness, I think everybody approached it with a level of selflessness, but also knowing what you bring to the table individually and trying to help match that with the other guys as well," Durant said of how Team USA has succeeded in his experiences. "So I think we all have a selfless approach and try to do whatever it takes for us to win. Whether you're starting or coming off the bench, guys play with a lot of effort and energy for one another. You truly see what Team USA is all about."
When discussing what makes Irving such an impactful talent in the international setting, Durant praised him as "the most skilled to ever play the game." It doesn't matter if Irving is playing in the NBA, with Team USA, or at Rucker Park; Durant greatly respects how Irving can impact the game.
"I think he's the most skilled ever to play the game. I think that there's nothing he can't do with a basketball. So, it doesn't matter what setting it is. He could do the same thing regardless if he's playing Team USA, NBA, NBA Finals, Playoffs, Streetball, or Rec Ball. He can do it. He can play his game anywhere. That's just a testament to how great he is and how hard he works."
While Irving will need to help guide the Mavs to success amid a 24-20 start to this NBA season first, the Olympic process will begin with training camp in Las Vegas this summer before playing numerous exhibition matches — including opponents like Canada in Nevada before taking on South Sudan and Germany at 02 Arena in London.
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