“We’re not thinking about replacing Kevin.” This was the clear and decisive stance of American coach Steve Kerr when asked about his player.

KD has missed the entire preparation tour, during which Team USA emerged victorious (5-0) despite the challenges of many matches. Just the other day, they struggled to overcome Germany, and were nearly upset by South Sudan, whom they narrowly defeated by just one point.

However, the plan for the star forward of the Phoenix Suns remains unchanged for the USA coaching staff under Kerr’s leadership: to rest and nurture the '7' so that he is ready for the decisive phase.

The initial news came from renowned NBA journalist Brian Windhorst during an ESPN broadcast last night. The veteran reporter revealed that, following a meeting between player and coach, “Kerr and Durant decided he needed more time to rest and recover.”

Thus, the American team will face their first Olympic battle on July 28th, when the mighty Serbia, led by Jokic and company, awaits them at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy.

Experts indicate that it is likely the first time Durant will appear on the court with Team USA will be on July 31st, in their second group game against what is expected to be the easiest opponent of the phase, South Sudan. He is also expected to participate in the ‘fratricidal’ clash between Puerto Rico and the United States, which will conclude the group stage on August 3rd.

The slender 35-year-old sharpshooter is in search of his fourth Olympic gold medal, having been a key player on the last three Olympic teams (2012, 2016, and 2020). Not only did he participate, but he was also the top scorer and represented the USA in ESPN's best lineup of the tournament in all three recent editions. KD is definitely on the brink of becoming the first male athlete in the world to win four Olympic golds in a team sport.

Given this history, it is understandable why Coach Kerr has been so patient with Durant, who was his former player with the Warriors from 2016 to 2019. Although this patience with Durant has directly conflicted with many opinions from fans and journalists.

Some have begun to compare and link Durant’s situation to that of Kawhi Leonard. ‘The Claw’ had a slight inflammation in his right knee and was quickly replaced by Derrick White, despite his condition not being as delicate, according to reports.

“Without criticizing KD,” as journalist Tomer Azarly recently noted on social media platform X, the reporter questions, as do many fans, why Kawhi Leonard received different treatment and why there is so much patience with KD. Especially when it appears Durant’s condition is significantly more fragile than that of the Clippers player, who was dropped from the team. This led to a heavy controversy surrounding the Los Angeles franchise and the American Basketball Federation.