Kevin Durant eyes return for Team USA at 2028 Olympics

For many basketball legends, the Olympics serve as a farewell stage. For Kevin Durant, it might be another proving ground.

The four-time Olympic gold medalist has his sights set on the 2028 Los Angeles Games. By then, Durant will be 39 years old, an age when most players are long retired or reduced to ceremonial roles. But if the team calls, he is open to giving it another shot at his fifth Olympic gold medal.

“Hell yeah, I want to play,” Durant said. “I would love to, but I’ve got to stay on top of my game. I’m not expecting, I want to produce on the floor and make Grant and whoever is making the decisions, want to put me on the team. I don’t want — not just for seniority. I want to still prove I can help the team win.”

Durant’s mindset reflects the same competitive edge that made him one of the most awarded players in Olympic history. 

His international track record includes pivotal performances in London, Rio, Tokyo, and Paris, where his scoring punch repeatedly bailed out Team USA in tight moments. 

Throughout the years the 2x NBA champion has carved himself as Team USA’s most reliable scorer, as he became the all-time leading scorer in team history edging out Carmelo Anthony who previously held the record. 

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BREAKING: Kevin Durant says he expects to play for Team USA in the 2028 Olympics

“I didn’t say I wasn’t playing. LeBron said he wasn’t. You didn’t hear that from me or Steph.”

(via Vincent Goodwill) pic.twitter.com/IzxqoZXgVW

— US/UKsportsHQ (@GOsisike) February 23, 2026

During the 2024 Paris Olympics, Durant showcased his scoring prowess dropping 21 points against Serbia, starting 8/8 from the field in the first half of the 110-84 rout. 

He then continued to average 13.8 points per game during the tournament as he averaged 18.5 points per game in all Olympic appearances for the red, white, and blue, which is good for second in points per game average in Team USA history. 

Even amid speculation that the 2024 Paris Games would mark a “last dance” for veterans like Durant, LeBron James, and Stephen Curry, Durant denied the narrative.

“You guys, the media, have projected that,” Durant said recently. “That narrative, where did the last dance thing come from? I didn’t say I wasn’t playing. LeBron said he wasn’t. You didn’t hear that from me or Steph.”

While Curry, who is turning 38 years old this March, faces an uncertain future in international play and James, at 41 years old, has already ruled himself out, Durant is keeping the door wide open. His motivation goes beyond medal counts, it’s also about defending the evolving identity of American basketball.

In recent years, the global gap has narrowed. Durant, however, bristles at the growing narrative that European development systems have surpassed American basketball culture.

“I just don’t like the talk around the USA versus European style of how you approach the game,” Durant said. “All I hear is, ‘AAU is destroying the game; the Euros do it right while the Americans do it wrong.'”

The 2028 Olympics could mark the symbolic passing of the torch to a new generation. But if Durant has his way, the torch won’t be handed over quietly. It will be defended one more time by a player still determined to prove that he belongs.

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