Foot surgery ended Kevin Durant’s 2014-15 season after just 27 games, but the Oklahoma City Thunder forward is apparently enjoying being on the court at USA Basketball minicamp.
According to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, Durant said he “can go 100 percent” and is relishing the time around some of the NBA’s best talents.
“Iron sharpens iron. I’d be a fool if I didn’t get with any of these guys. If I wanted to be secretive about workouts, or be by myself, I’d be stupid to do that. To bounce ideas off of Chris Paul, LaMarcus Aldridge, Draymond Green, Steph Curry, that’s like heaven, like being in basketball heaven with these guys.”
Quick aside, it’s somewhat humorous that Durant included Draymond in his “basketball heaven.” While Green is a terrific defender, he’s not exactly a bona fide star like the other three players.
Regardless, there’s no question Durant and the remainder of Team USA are benefiting from a couple days around the league’s superstars. It’s also helping the players improve their on-court connections in anticipation of the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Durant tallied 25.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game last season before undergoing the season-ending injury. He’ll rejoin Russell Westbrook on a Thunder team hoping to reach the NBA Finals for the first time in four seasons.