Kevin Durant respects those who came before him and hopes future players will respect him too.
During Team USAโs big 122-87 win over Brazil in the Paris Games quarterfinals, Durant broke Lisa Leslieโs record for most points scored in U.S. Olympic basketball history. He needed just five points to pass her 488-point record and ended the game with 11 points, setting a new high of 494 points.
Leslie was quick to congratulate Durant on his achievement.
Well let me start to congradulate @KDTrey5 as he gets ready to break one of my
Olympic records! The Slim Reaper!! One of my all time favorites!โ Lisa Leslie (@LisaLeslie)
Durant seemed humble about breaking the record, saying that another great player would eventually surpass him. He emphasized that winning gold for Team USA is more important than any personal records .
Records are meant to be broken, Iโll hold on to this until another great comes along and passes me upโฆLisa Leslie you are the gold standard in basketball, I appreciate your love and support throughout the years..much love to you alwaysโฆitโs all about the gold baby. Letโs getโฆย
โ Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5)ย
Durant’s Olympic Journey:
Coming into these Olympics, Durant already had the most points in menโs Team USA history with 435. With an average of nearly 15 points per game and shooting at a high percentage, he has proven himself as a top scorer at the Olympics.
Fans might think it’s amazing how Durant keeps breaking records!
Besides scoring records, Durant is also close to making more history this summer. He could become the first male athlete ever to win four gold medals in a team sport at the Olympics if Team USA wins two more games. He has already won gold in London, Rio de Janeiro, and Tokyo.
Next up for Durant and Team USA is a semifinal match against Nikola Jokic’s Serbia on Thursday. The winner will play either France or Germany for gold on Saturday.
What do you think about Durant’s achievements?
