Mike Krzyzewski recently weighed in on who he believed was the top player for Team USA. Most NBA fans will know that the 2024 Paris Olympics are currently underway with several national teams across the world looking to win the largest international sports tournament. LeBron James, Steph Curry, and some of the best stars in the United States have joined forces in order to win the gold medal.
Given that LeBron James and Steph Curry can be considered the most experienced players on the Team USA roster who have also won the most championships, one would assume that they are at the top of the hierarchy. However, Coach K ranked another player above them. With that being said, let us take a closer look and find out more.
Coach K opines that Kevin Durant is the best player in Team USA history
To those who do not know, Mike Krzyzewski is a former college basketball coach and is considered by many to be an active member of the basketball community. Given that he clearly knows the game well and has found a significant amount of success coaching at the collegiate level, it has also been revealed that Coach K has received multiple offers to coach NBA teams over the years. However, he has always had a reason to decline.
Krzyzewski recently discussed the current players on Team USA and claimed that Suns star Kevin Durant was ahead of others such as Steph Curry and LeBron James in terms of accomplishments in the Olympics, “I think he is because of longevity and accomplishment. Again, it’s unique, but the amount of points he has scored, he has scored a lot more than anyone else.
Coach K says Kevin Durant is the best player to ever suit up for the United States in Olympic competition
“I think he is because of longevity and accomplishment. Again, it’s unique, but the amount of points he has scored, he has scored a lot more than anyone else.”
(Via… pic.twitter.com/vQcTnT21mM
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) July 31, 2024
Steve Kerr thinks so too. That’s why he let KD loose and let Jayson Tatum stink in the bench 😂
— JBond 🍌 (@jbondwagon) July 31, 2024
Considering that Kevin Durant is the leading scorer in Team USA international history, one can certainly understand why basketball experts hold him to a higher standard even when compared to other greats who have played for Team USA. Upon hearing Coach K’s statements regarding Durant, fans took to social media in order to share their thoughts.
Fans believe Coach K took an inadvertent shot at LeBron James
While there is no denying that Coach K may have spoken his truth and even gained the approval of most fans, his use of the word longevity in association with Kevin Durant has not been taken well. After all, LeBron James is the player that is known for his longevity.
Longevity? Bron got that. Kd like melon out there
— Real Sturdy 🧠👁✊🏽 (@KingSmoove009) July 31, 2024
Dude used the word longevity as if Lebron doesn’t exist
— That Hurts (@That_Hurts) July 31, 2024
LeBron James hearing this pic.twitter.com/CAaxP3dNKV
— Stat Defender (@statdefender) July 31, 2024
By giving Durant that tagline, Coach K appears to have displeased a fair amount of LeBron fans, who still want to believe that King James is the best player ever. Many even pointed out that most of KD’s success came at times when he had a lot of star help and virtually no pressure.
Kevin Durant is overrated.
He’s always required playing around other great players to do anything of note.
He’s no Dirk Nowitzki who could carry average teams to 50-win seasons and playoff berths year-after-year.
— Cryptid Politics (pro-DeSantis) 🇺🇸🐊 (@CryptidPolitics) July 31, 2024
In any case, this is expected to be the last Olympics for LeBron James and even potentially Kevin Durant. Fans are left wondering how the international careers of both these legends will be looked at over the years.