Jrue Holiday responds without hesitation to questions about bringing back Kevin Durant for Team USA
With the 2024 Paris Olympics just around the corner, Kevin Durant’s health status and his latest injury have become a topic of discussion. Durant is one of many NBA stars selected to play for Team USA. Given that he’s the international scoring leader, Team USA just wasn’t the same without him on the court.
For those who don’t know, KD sustained a left calf strain and has not stepped on the court during the exhibition games conducted thus far. Team USA coaches Steve Kerr and Jrue Holiday were recently interviewed and asked about Durant. With that being said, let’s take a closer look and find out more.
Jrue Holiday and Steve Kerr voiced their support for Kevin Durant
Any player or coach who has been in the league long enough will know a lot about Durant’s skills. After all, one could argue that the Phoenix Suns star is one of the best pure scorers in NBA history. Not only is KD a prolific scorer, he also doesn’t require a lot of ball usage and can fit into virtually any system.
Being injured is something that Team USA didn’t see coming. While some fans might assume that resting Kevin Durant and utilizing the star talent on the roster would be the correct approach, Steve Kerr and Juror Holiday made it clear that they felt differently.
Steve Kerr: “There’s no thought of replacing Kevin.”
Reporter: “Does he have anxiety to work just because you have?”
Jrue Holiday: “This is Kevin Durant, my son. What are we talking about? That’s KD. He needs to be out.” 😅pic.twitter.com/sPwD1ZlYZm
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) July 23, 2024
Kerr initially shot down any idea of trying to replace Durant. When asked about the difficulties that might come with adding KD to a team that has already developed a sense of continuity, Jrue Holliday replied, “This is Kevin Durant, my son. What are we talking about? That’s KD. No, he needs to be out.
It’s certainly nice to see Holiday step up and voice support for his teammate on the importance of Durant’s return to Team USA, though. At this point, the squad is in a tough spot, and getting Durant will surely help them.
Team USA remains undefeated in the 2024 Paris Olympic exhibition games
Since Team USA hasn’t lost a game in Durant’s absence, one can certainly understand why the reporter felt the need to question the importance of bringing him back and adding him to a team that already appears to be successful. However, fans should note that Team USA did not fare as well as expected for most of their exhibition games and even escaped with some narrow wins.
Considering Kevin Durant will be coming off an injury when he returns to Team USA, fans are wondering if this is the right move. After all, international tournaments allow for greater contact and consequently a greater risk of injury. Regardless, it’s clear that Jrue Holiday, Steve Kerr, and the rest of Team USA want Durant to make his return as soon as possible.