Kevin Durant and Steph Curry reunited on Team USA at the 2024 Olympics, with Durant describing their almost telepathic connection. Curry hit nine three-pointers against Serbia and clutch shots in the gold-medal games. Durant discusses retirement thoughts and his openness to a fifth Olympic gold in Los Angeles.
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Obviously we won championships together, gold medals together. This past summer you won another gold medal, this time with Steph. What was a moment that you and Steph had, you know, or something teaming up that you haven't spoke about? Especially man, on that level, bro. That was crazy.
Yeah. That was a level.
Yeah, I mean, it was like, when I got back on the floor with Steph as a teammate, that first few games, it was like that nonverbal, 'Cause you know, there's a certain way that you gotta like play with Steph, you know what I'm saying?
Absolutely.
He giving the ball up knowing that, all right, now I'm flying him back off this pin down. Make sure you look for me. And a lot of dudes on Team USA didn't quite understand that. You know what I'm saying? So when I would get in the game, I was like, all right, let me see what he about to do real quick. 'Cause he give this up, that don't mean he gonna stand. He gonna run around somewhere, try to get open. So I was like, I felt like I was the only one on the court that knew what he was thinking. You know what I'm saying? Absolutely. On the offside of the ball. So it was like, it's like we ain't have to say nothing. Say much, but I kind of knew, you know what I'm saying? That's from all those years playing together and watching film together and figuring shit out. It's like, that was cool to feel again, you know what I'm saying? Because we worked our way up to that Golden State where we didn't have to talk to each other. I kind of knew what he was thinking and vice versa. So to bring that feeling back on Team USA was special. And then obviously those last two games, you know what I'm saying, just how he's— that shit was ridiculous, bro. He made like, I think he made 9 threes that game against Serbia. And then what he did against France, those last few shots, it was just perfect. 'Cause he always wanted that moment. You could tell he did want, he wanted the gold medal in the Olympics. He had one for the World Championships, but—
Yep, 2 of 'em.
2 of 'em, yeah. You could tell he wanted that Olympic moment. So, but to be like that, man, that was crazy. I know that's something he gonna always remember.
I got a secret I'm gonna tell you, but if I tell you this secret, you gotta promise to just know that it's my secret.
All right.
And you gotta, you can't do nothing about it.
All right.
I got the ball from when you broke the USA scoring record.
Why do you got that though, dog?
That's crazy. How you got that ball?
Somebody had to keep it.
Because I kept it after that game and then it was just like, KD, this your ball. And then you left it sitting somewhere and I was like, he don't want this ball. I'm gonna save this. So I got the ball here.
Oh man, I know it's safe over there, man.
So you can— It's safe.
I just need your signature on it, bro. I ain't gonna sell it, but I would love your signature.
You putting that museum up over there and shit.
No, I'm saying, that's it.
Everywhere. Man, that's one of them ones though.
Hey man, I got a chance to play with the ghost. You think I don't wanna hold on to that?
Come on, man. Come on, man. This is crazy. Talk to me.
All right, so. I appreciate that. But man, K, you got 4 Olympic gold medals. You still, I heard you for the first time talk about retirement maybe within the last 3 weeks. And you said, I think about it all the time or something like that. Me personally, I know you love just playing basketball. Is there some chance you go get 5 Olympic gold medals in LA?
Yeah, there is a chance. There's a chance. My thing always been is like, I wanna still be on this level that I'm playing at when that time comes around. I don't want that— Right. Don't give me that OG, man, just come be one of the guys and we need your presence type. Nah, I wanna hoop if I go out, you know what I'm saying? And I wanna be counted on to play minutes, you know what I mean? And you need me to knock down shots to help the team type shit. I don't want that farewell shit, you know what I'm saying? You can give that spot to a youngster that haven't experienced it. Tired of that. You know what I'm saying? So if I'm up to that level and I'm still hooping at that level and I expect myself to be, then yeah, I would definitely love to. Be a part of that, especially being in LA, like being on the home soil.
That's gonna be crazy.
Man, it's gonna be stupid.
That's gonna go crazy.
Stupid.
Hey, you've been hooping for a long time. Do you ever think like 19, 20 when you came in the league and now you looking at the Olympics, you know, you looking at, you know, the back end of your career, what does the final chapter, right, look like for you? Like how do you wanna paint that final chapter?
Man, I don't even, man, it's a good question. I mean, and it's hard to say right now. Obviously I can't predict the future, but like I said, I just wanna be, I wanna be healthy and make that choice on my own. And be able to, you know, leave the game the way I wanna leave it. And I wanna just keep building with, you know what I'm saying? You know, the young players in the league throughout the, you know what I mean? I just wanna be respected. Respected as one of the guys that can pour back into the younger generation of players, but still hoop on that level with 'em too though. Like compete on that level with 'em too. That's how I want my career to end. I wanna still be nice, you know what I'm saying?
Yeah.
You know what I mean? I wanna still be the old dude that's like, "Yo, he's still like, you know, might call him back when he 42, 43, see what he doing." Right. You know what I'm saying?
Right.
That's the type of vibe I wanna have when I leave the game, you know? I don't wanna just hang around just to hang around, you know what I'm saying? So wherever that may be or whoever I'm playing with.
It's gotta be buckets. Once you not a bucket no more, you ain't coming off the bench, sitting on the bench saying, "Come on, young fella, you can do it." I can come off the bench in the Jamal Crawford type of role, you know what I mean? But it's gotta be buckets.
If I'm doing that, then that wouldn't be too bad, but I can't— Give you the goddamn 7, 8 minute flight, man. That can't be 10 minutes a night.
