LeBron James at the 2012 London Olympics" height="592" width="800" />Kevin Durant scored a three-pointer in the second quarter of the Olympic group stage game against the Czech Republic and with that surpassed Carmelo Anthony as the all-time leading scorer in USA Olympics history. He ended the game with 23 points on 8-11 shooting from the field to give Team USA a 119-84 victory. They now advance to the quarter-finals in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
Kevin Durant now has 354 total points while playing for the USA in the Olympics. He reached that mark in just 19 games and three Olympic appearances whereas it took Carmelo Anthony four Olympic appearances to reach 336 points.
He spoke about passing Anthony after the win against the Czech Republic, saying:
"I just think about all the players that played in this program and (itβs) pretty cool to be amongst names like that...Carmelo is a guy that I played on two Olympic teams with, and I've seen his approach to these games, and I try to steal some of his techniques and approach."
LeBron James at the 2012 London Olympics" height="592" width="800" />Kevin Durant made his Olympic debut in the 2012 London Olympics. He played alongside several NBA All-Stars like Kobe Bryant and LeBron James but still managed to outshine them as he set the record for most points scored in an Olympic tournament. He averaged 19.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.6 steals per game while leading Team USA to an unbeaten record in the competition en route to the gold medal. In the final championship game, he led all scorers with 30 points.
Kevin Durant has only seen gold in his national career as he led Team USA to another gold medal in the 2016 Rio Olympics. In light of his brilliant performances, Durant was named the 2016 co-USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year, (alongside Carmelo Anthony) for the second time in his career. He won the accolade for the first time in 2010 for his contributions in earning the gold medal at the 2010 FIBA World Cup in Turkey.
He now leads Team USA through the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and is the only three-time Olympian on the roster. They face long-term rivals Spain in the quarter-finals on Monday at 12:40 AM ET.
Also Read: What rules do the Olympics follow for 3x3 Basketball?
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