2016 Olympics

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In recognition of their incredible performances at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games and as members of the 2016 USA Basketball Men’s National Team this past summer, Kevin Durant has been selected to receive the 2016 USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year Award alongside co-captain Carmelo Anthony.

This is the second such honor for Durant and the third for Anthony.

“It’s a tremendous honor,” Durant said. “I was fortunate enough to get the opportunity to play for my country, and I tried to go out there and play as hard as I could and represent as much as I can. I’m grateful that I played with such great teammates and a great staff that were able to help me get this award.”

“It is an incredible honor to represent the USA at the Olympics, and to be given this award for the third time, it’s just humbling,” Anthony said. “Without Kevin Durant, the rest of my teammates and an incredibly dedicated coaching staff, earning such a prestigious award like this would not be possible.”

At the 2016 Olympics, both players started in all eight games to help the USA to an 8-0 record and a gold medal from Aug. 6-21 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Anthony averaged a team second-best 12.1 points to go with 5.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 23.3 minutes per game, while Durant averaged a team-leading 19.4 ppg. to go with 5.0 rpg. and 3.5 apg. in 28.6 mpg.

“The leadership of Carmelo and Kevin on the 2016 team was crucial and obvious to anyone who watched the team play or interact, ” said Jim Tooley, USA Basketball CEO/Executive Director. “Both players played a vital rose in leading our team to gold, and we are grateful for their dedication and commitment.”

This year marks the 37th time USA Basketball has presented its Male Athlete of the Year award, which was established in 1980 to recognize a USA Basketball athlete who, during the year of the award, made a significant impact on the success of his team’s performance.

“Along with their amazing talent, Carmelo and Kevin brought experience and veteran steadiness to a team that had 10 first-time Olympians on it,” said Mike Krzyzewski, USA Men’s National Team and Duke University head coach, as well as the 2016 USA Basketball Co-National Coach of the Year. “Their leadership, often by example, and ability to handle difficult situations professionally and effectively were huge assets to the 2016 USA Basketball National Team. Their games translate very well to international basketball, and their numbers reflect that. I greatly admire both of these men – first as immensely talented basketball players, but even more as better people who are tremendous role models in our sport.”

Anthony became USA Basketball’s first four-time men’s Olympian, the USA’s first four-time men’s medalist and the world’s first men’s player to win three gold medals.

At the 2016 Olympics, he shot 39.3 percent from the field (33-84 FGs), 40.0 percent from 3-point (18-45 3pt FGs) and 61.9 percent from the line (13-21 FTs).

Against Australia on Aug. 10, Anthony recorded single-game tournament highs for 3-point field goals (9) and 3-point attempts (15), while also recording the fourth-highest scoring output (31 points) and tying for the second-most field goals made (11).

His 31 points against Australia on Aug. 10 tied for the second-highest, single-game output in the U.S. men’s Olympic record book, and his 15 3-point attempts in that game set a U.S. men’s record.

Among all players in the 12-team field, Anthony ranked third in 3-point field goal attempts (45), tied for third in 3-point field goals made (18) and tied for 10th in points scored (97).

In the U.S. men’s career Olympic record book, Anthony ranks first in games played (31), points (336), field goals made (113), field goals attempted (262), rebounds (125), 3-point field goals attempted (139), free throws made (53) and free throws attempted (71); and second in 3-point field goals made (57).

He also helped the USA to a 5-0 exhibition record with wins over Argentina (111-74 on July 22), China (106-57 on July 24 and 107-57 on July 26), Venezuela (80-45 on July 29) and Nigeria (110-66 on Aug. 1). He started in four of the five exhibition games and averaged 13.6 ppg., 6.8 rpg. and 1.8 apg. in 19.2 mpg.

Durant is one of 19 two-time U.S. men’s Olympians and one of 17 to win two gold medals.

At the 2016 Olympics, he shot 57.8 percent from the field (52-90 FGs), 58.1 percent from 3-point (25-43 3pt FGs) and 81.3 percent from the line (26-32 FTs).

Durant recorded the tournament’s best single-game shooting percentage by going 6-of-6 from the field against France on Aug. 14.

Among all players in the 12-team field, Durant ranked first in 3-point field goals made (25) and minutes (28.6); second in points scored (155); third in field goal attempts (90) and field goals made (52); fourth in defensive rebounds (37); tied for fourth in 3-point field goal attempts (43); fifth in points per game (19.4); tied for fifth in free throw attempts (32); and sixth in 3-point percentage (.581).

Three times he led the USA in scoring, including 25 points and six assists against China on Aug. 6, 27 points against Argentina in the quarterfinals on Aug. 17 and 30 points against Serbia in the gold medal game on Aug. 21.

In the U.S. men’s career Olympic record book, Durant is first in 3-point field goals made (59); second in points (311) and 3-point field goal attempts (108); and third in field goals made (101) and free throws attempted (59).

In the U.S. Olympic single competition record book, he is second only to himself in points (155 in 2016 and 156 in 2012) and 3-point field goals made (25 in 2016 and 34 in 2012).

During the USA’s five exhibition games, Durant started in four contests and averaged a team-high 15.6 ppg. to go with 2.8 rpg. and 2.8 apg. while playing 19.6 mpg.

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Kevin Durant Honored with 2016 USA Basketball Male Athlete Of The Year Award Alongside Carmelo Anthony

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Draymond Green, Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant return to the mainland adorned with gold medals and national pride.

Only a select number of basketball players can say they’ve won an NBA championship. Even fewer can show off an Olympic gold medal.

In the midst of a whirlwind offseason, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green can claim both, while Kevin Durant is now a two-time member in the latter category. After deep playoff runs, the three NBA and Olympic teammates put thoughts of well-deserved rest aside in pursuit of the highest international honor in their sport – a shining gold medallion, earned against some of the world’s best on the globe’s most grandiose athletic stage. With talent unparalleled and the expectations to match, there was only one possible result for Team USA in Rio that wouldn’t classify as a massive disappointment, and as the three Warriors stood arm-in-arm with their Olympic teammates atop the podium following their runaway victory over Serbia in the Gold Medal Game, whatever doubt persisted was finally put to rest. Despite a few rocky showings, Team USA accomplished what it set out to do, and now Green, Thompson and Durant return to the mainland adorned with gold medals and national pride.

For Durant, this experience isn’t entirely new. He won gold with Team USA at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, and over the course of these most recent Games, has placed himself amongst the top scorers ever to don the red, white and blue. In Rio, Durant led the team in scoring by averaging 19.4 points per game during Team USA’s perfect 8-0 run through the tournament. He saved his best effort for last, scoring 30 points against Serbia in the Olympic Final, including 18 in the second quarter and 24 in the first half alone. The 6’9” forward now owns the two highest point totals in a single Olympic competition in Team USA history, scoring a record 156 points in 2012 and following it up with 155 points in 2016. Durant has now scored 311 total points for Team USA in his Olympic career, second only to Carmelo Anthony (336) for most career points scored by an individual in U.S. Men’s Olympic Basketball Team history. At still only 27 years of age, it would seem Durant has a tremendous chance at owning that record all to himself in another four years time.

For Thompson and Green, on the other hand, they can now check off another big box on their list of career accomplishments, right next to ‘All-Star’ and ‘NBA Champion’. Thompson uncharacteristically struggled to get his shot to fall in the preliminary round, shooting a combined 4-of-26 from the floor for a total of 11 points through the first four games. But, as he has done so many times before, once he broke through, he did so in a big way. Thompson’s best game came in Team USA’s fifth and final preliminary round game against France, a slim 100-97 victory in which he totaled 30 points on a dynamic shooting display, sinking seven of 13 shots from behind the three-point line. Thompson delivered once again when his team was in desperate need, leading Team USA with 22 points in their 82-76 victory over Spain in the Semifinals.

On a team replete with stars, everyone is forced to make sacrifices, and for Draymond Green this meant fewer minutes on the court than he’s traditionally accustomed to. But, in Draymond-like fashion, that didn’t stop him from having a positive impact on the team, nor did it erode at the effort he put forth when his number was called. He scored a personal-best seven points in 12 minutes in Team USA’s 98-88 preliminary round victory over Australia, and based on per-minute output, Green ranked among the team’s best in both assist and steal rate. He also posted the second-best individual defensive rating on Team USA over the course of their 13 games (exhibitions included).

For Warriors fans, the rapidly evolving chemistry between the Dubs’ trio witnessed throughout Olympic play was surely an awesome sight, and one that will only be sweeter when those three step foot on the court at Oracle Arena – alongside Stephen Curry, Andre Iguodala and the rest of the 2016-17 Dubs – for Opening Night on October 25. Warriors training camp begins next month, and with any luck, the three Warriors’ gold medalists’ experience in Rio will give them a head start heading into another arduous season coming off the heels of a short, but memorable summer.

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Rio Recap: Dubs’ Trio Stays Golden

Andy Fahey

Golden State Warriors forwards Kevin Durant and Draymond Green and guard Klay Thompson helped the U.S. Men’s Olympic Basketball Team capture the gold medal at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with a 96-66 win over Serbia today.

This is the second Olympic gold medal for Durant, as he previously won gold at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Green and Thompson each earned their first Olympic gold medal.

In Rio, Durant led the team in scoring by averaging 19.4 points per game during Team USA’s perfect 8-0 run through the tournament. The 6’9” forward now owns the two highest point totals in a single Olympic competition in Team USA history, scoring a record 156 points in 2012 and following it up with 155 points in 2016. Durant has scored 311 total points for Team USA in his Olympic career, second only to Carmelo Anthony (336) for most career points scored by an individual in U.S. Men’s Olympic Basketball Team history.

The Warriors are just the second NBA team to boast a trio of players on Team USA at the Olympic Games since active NBA players began participating in the Olympics in 1992 (Oklahoma City Thunder in 2012). Durant, Green and Thompson join Chris Mullin (1992) as the only Warriors players to capture Olympic gold.

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Warriors Trio Captures Gold Medal at 2016 Olympic Games

Team USA saved their best for last, riding an early lead to an eventual 96-66 victory over Serbia in the Olympic Final on Sunday.

Team USA saved their best for last, riding an early lead to an eventual 96-66 victory over Serbia in the Olympic Final on Sunday. Kevin Durant posted his highest scoring effort of the Olympics, leading all players with 30 points and five three-pointers. Klay Thompson and Draymond Green added 12 and two points, respectively. With the victory, Team USA secured its third consecutive Olympic gold medal.

The U.S. National Team narrowly defeated Serbia in the preliminary round, and at the outset of the Final, it appeared they might be in store for another tightly fought contest. Serbia drained a three-pointer to open the scoring and held a slight advantage for much of the first quarter. Serbia trailed by a single point in the final minute of the frame before Kevin Durant sank his first three-pointer of the day, closing the scoring in the quarter and giving Team USA their largest lead of the game up to that point, leading 19-15.

Durant’s three-pointer proved to be a sign of things to come, however, as the American’s leading scorer made sure Sunday’s Final would not come down to a last-second shot. After the U.S. had expanded their lead slightly to 25-17 through the first two minutes of the second quarter, Durant converted consecutive three-pointers, punctuated by a steal and fast break dunk, all in a span of 59 seconds. That sequence ballooned Team USA’s advantage to double-digits, and they’d never look back. Klay Thompson would get in on the long-range action, making his first three-pointer of the contest with 4:20 remaining in the first half. Durant would close out the second frame just like he did the first, making his fourth three-pointer of the quarter with 28 seconds left to give Team USA a commanding 52-29 lead going into halftime.

With Olympic gold well in their sights, the U.S. National Team didn’t let off the gas. Leading 55-33, Thompson converted a layup off an assist from Durant to ignite a stretch in which he scored or assisted on nine-straight American points. Durant would add four more points by way of free throws throughout the remainder of the frame, giving him a total of 159 points throughout the Olympic tournament, constituting the second-highest point total by a member of Team USA at a single Olympic competition (Durant scored 156 points in 2012). When the quarter buzzer sounded, Team USA led 79-43 with only 10 minutes remaining between them and their third-consecutive Olympic gold medal.

Thompson would sit out the entire duration of the fourth quarter, while Durant checked out for the final time with 8:55 remaining in the game. Draymond Green would check in for his first action of the contest a minute later, and eventually tally his first points of the day on a layup with 3:23 remaining to give Team USA a 90-49 lead. That advantage proved to be far more than enough, as the U.S. Men’s National Team coasted to an eventual 96-66 victory to win the gold medal.

This is the second Olympic gold medal for Durant, as he previously won gold at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Green and Thompson each earned their first Olympic gold medal. The Warriors are just the second NBA team to boast a trio of players on Team USA at the Olympic Games since active NBA players began participating in the Olympics in 1992 (Oklahoma City Thunder in 2012). Durant, Green and Thompson join Chris Mullin (1992) as the only Warriors players to capture Olympic gold.

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Team USA Wins Gold in Rio

Team USA clinched a spot in the Olympic gold medal game after defeating Spain 82-76 in the semifinals on Friday.

Team USA clinched a spot in the Olympic gold medal game after defeating Spain 82-76 in the semifinals on Friday. Klay Thompson led the American squad with 22 points and four three-pointers, while Kevin Durant put forth a strong all-around effort, accumulating 14 poitns and eight rebounds. With the victory, Team USA advances to the Olympic Final on Sunday, where they’ll await the winner of the other semifinal game between Australia and Serbia.

It hasn’t been the easy road that many anticipated or expected, but Team USA is where it wants to be, playing for the Olympic gold medal on Sunday. After some sluggish performances in the preliminary round, the U.S. team has stepped it up a notch in the knockout stage, and continued that trend with a sound victory over Spain in the semifinal. Durant and Thompson both got off to strong start, with both players finding the bottom of the net multiple times in the first five minutes of play. By the time the first quarter buzzer sounded, USA led 26-17, and Durant possessed the team lead in both points scored and rebounds with seven each.

In the second frame, Thompson took over. Team USA opened the second quarter 0-of-7 from the floor, prompting Coach Krzyzewski to put the vast majority of the starting lineup back in the game, including both Thompson and Durant. The move paid immediate dividends, with Thompson connecting with DeAndre Jordan for an alley-oop on their first offensive possession. Thompson would go on to score USA’s next five points, the final three of which came off an assist by Durant. Soon after, however, Durant picked up his third personal foul on a technical, forcing him from the game with 3:40 remaining in the half. Draymond Green took Durant’s place on the court for his first action of the contest, as Thompson took on the scoring burden. He’d add three more points in the next minute and seven through the remainder of the half, pacing USA to a 45-39 advantage heading into halftime.

Thompson would begin the second half much like he finished the first one, opening the third quarter with a converted jump shot. That would conclude his personal scoring in the frame, but he continued to factor into the scoring nonetheless. DeAndro Jordan provided the highlight of the game, flying in from the top of the key with a putback dunk of Thompson’s missed three-pointer with 3:44 left in the quarter to give USA their largest lead of the game at the time, up 61-50. Jordan would complete another alley-oop from Thompson, this one intentional, at the close of the quarter to put Team USA up 66-57 heading into the fourth and final frame.

Team USA would achieve their largest lead of the day less than three minutes into the fourth quarter, as Kyle Lowry and Paul George combined to open the frame on a 6-0 run. Spain trimmed down the deficit as the quarter wore on, but the damage had been done. The Spaniards scored the final seven points of the contest, but Team USA walked away with an 82-76 victory in the end.

With the win, Team USA advances to the Gold Medal Game on Sunday at 11:45 a.m. (PST), where they’ll take on the winner of the other semifinal game between Australia and Serbia.

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Thompson, Durant Pace USA Past Spain in Semifinals

Statement made. Kevin Durant took over early and the U.S. Men’s National Team overcame a double digit deficit in the first quarter of Wednesday’s 105-78 win over Argentina.

With the win, Team USA advances to the Olympic Semifinals, and if Durant keeps up this level of play, the American squad should be in pretty good shape. Durant scored or assisted on 19 of the team’s 25 points in the first quarter, helping the U.S. squad get back on track after Argentina stormed out to a 19-9 advantage.

Klay Thompson ignited the game-changing run by sinking a midrange jumper, and Durant drilled a three on Team USA’s next possession to cut the Argentinian lead in half. The Americans would end the quarter on a 16-2 run, and that extended to a 27-2 spurt into the second quarter.
Durant, who scored the U.S. squad’s first seven points and had three treys in the first quarter alone, stayed hot the entire game. He shot 9-for-13 from the field and 7-of-9 on 3-pointers, matching the 3-point total put up by Thompson in the team’s previous game against France in the group stage of the Olympics.

Just a couple of months shy of officially playing his first game as a Warrior, Durant led all scorers with 27 points, seven rebounds and a team-high six assists. Thompson added four points and Draymond Green made his presence felt defensively – two steals, one block – in his time on the court.

After looking vulnerable at times in the group stage, the Americans played their best game thus far of the Olympics. Durant’s touch, combined with big games off the bench from Paul George (17 points, eight rebounds) and DeMarcus Cousins (15 points) and an inspired defensive effort that limited Argentina to 38 percent shooting and no more than 21 points in any quarter, guided the U.S. squad to the blowout victory over the team that last beat them in international competition.

Up next for the U.S. squad is a matchup with Spain in the Olympic semifinals on Friday at 11:30 a.m.

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Durant's Big Game Leads U.S. Past Argentina

Following a run of five exhibition victories in the USA Basketball Showcase, Warriors players Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and the rest of the U.S. Men’s National Team are set for action in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

USA Basketball Preliminary Round Schedule

Durant, the most experienced of the Warriors players on Team USA, set an all-time Olympic men’s basketball record for points scored in a single tournament in 2012. He continued his role as a go-to scorer for the U.S. squad, averaging a team-high 15.6 points per game over the course of the recently completed USA Basketball Showcase. Durant started four games, including his first action at Oracle Arena since becoming a member of the Golden State Warriors. He was a steady force from three-point range throughout the five exhibition games, hitting 13 shots from deep on an efficient 46.4% rate. Beyond his scoring role, Durant’s length posed problems for opposing offenses, and he racked up six steals and a pair of blocks in the Showcase. Durant, along with Green, served as a key facilitator on offense as their 14 assists tied them for third-most on the team.

The only Team USA member who sank more threes than Durant in the exhibition series was Thompson. His 14.2 points per game were second only to Durant, and he averaged more than three made shots from deep per contest.

On getting his first dose of on-court action with Durant as a teammate, Thompson said, “It’s going to be a fun year. We have this journey that we have to endure first, but needless to say it’s exciting.”

Green, while he did not score as much as his fellow Warrior Olympians in the five-game exhibition, was the fourth-leading rebounder and tied for third in assists on the star-studded American roster.

Together, the Warriors trio helped lead Team USA to an impressive average margin of victory of 43 points per game. While the U.S. team dominated in almost every facet of the game, their rebounding prowess was especially noteworthy, averaging 48.2 boards per game compared to just 26.8 by their opponents. The team shot just over 49% from the floor while holding their opponents to a combined sub-35% shooting clip. The exhibition series provided Team USA with a chance to jell in advance of their Olympic competition.

On team chemistry, Green said, “It’s a great group of guys who really enjoy being around each other. We spend a lot of time together off the court, and it’s not by force, it’s just that guys want to be around each other, enjoy being around each other. It’s great vibes with this team.”

This strong team chemistry, combined with the immense talent on the roster, gives Team USA gold-medal aspirations in Rio, and their first Olympic test will be this Saturday against China. Both teams are familiar with each other, having just competed in two games in the USA Basketball Showcase. Team USA is in Group A, and as such will follow their initial game against China with a contest against Venezuela on Monday, who they also played on the showcase run. They continue on August 10 with Australia, whose lineup will feature former Warriors center Andrew Bogut, and they’ll wrap up the Preliminary Round against Serbia and France on the 12th and 14th, respectively.

The French roster features several NBA mainstays, including Tony Parker and Nicolas Batum, and figures to pose one of the biggest threats to an undefeated run by the American squad.

“The challenge is not to take them lightly,” Thompson said on playing against some talented international rosters. “Respect your opponent.”

Following the five games in the preliminary round, the competition moves on to the quarterfinals which includes the top four teams in Group A and B in a single-elimination tournament. The gold-medal team will have to win three straight knockout stage games after advancing from the preliminary round.

The U.S. squad has won gold in five of the last six Olympics since NBA players joined the competition, and the Warriors trio of Durant, Thompson and Green will play a role in determining if that dominant run continues.