Tyrese Haliburton Reveals Kevin Durant’s Bold Message to Team USA

The Rockets forward made an impression on his teammates, including the Pacers point guard

Aug 10, 2024; Paris, France; United States guard Kevin Durant (7) and guard Devin Booker (15) celebrate with their gold medals on the podium after defeating France in the men's basketball gold medal game during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Accor Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Tyrese Haliburton was a member of the United States men’s national basketball team during a successful gold medal campaign at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Being slotted at the tail-end of the rotation, Haliburton averaged 2.7 points and 0.7 assists over three games. 

While other players from Team USA were arguably underutilized, Haliburton was allocated a team-low 8.7 minutes per game. The two-time All-Star was also the only player to appear in less than four matches. 

In a pre-tournament film session, Steve Kerr told the stacked 12-man team that not everybody on Team USA’s roster would be able to play every game. In a recent episode of Boardroom Talks, Haliburton revealed what Houston Rockets star Kevin Durant contributed to the meeting. 

“KD is like, ‘I’m a god, right? We’re gods, right?’ He likes to use that word, which is a little crazy, but I understand what he’s saying. He said that in that meeting, too. He was like, ‘At the end of the day, we’re 12 gods’.”

“That’s like an unbelievable mindset. I was thinking when I got to the room, I was like, I didn’t think I was like a god, but at the same time, I’m on the Olympic team. This is crazy. I’m one of the 12 guys that they selected to be on the Olympic team for a reason. So I’m just going to take it in stride.”

Aug 10, 2024; Paris, France; United States guard Kevin Durant (7) in the men's basketball gold medal game during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Accor Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Momentum From The Olympics

In the season after his Olympic experience, Haliburton would go on to lead the Indiana Pacers to an NBA Finals appearance. He suffered a major injury during Game 7 of the championship round, giving the Oklahoma City Thunder a clear edge to close out the series. 

While Haliburton had to rehabilitate a season-ending Achilles injury, Durant was gearing up for his first year with the Rockets. It proved to be a successful debut, as Durant averaged 26.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4.8 assists over 78 games.

Coming off a 50+ win year, Durant and the Rockets will be expecting the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder as their greatest challengers in the Western Conference. Meanwhile, Haliburton’s Pacers will be hoping for a resurgence in an Eastern Conference that has drastically changed. 

Apart from NBA team dynamics, Durant and Haliburton could once again be teammates at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Although Durant will be approximately 39 years old, the 16-time All-Star's track record suggests another appearance is possible.