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[Saba Sports News] Team USA Basketball is facing a new injury concern with one of their most decorated Olympians.
According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant is dealing with a minor calf strain as Team USA begins training camp in Las Vegas ahead of the Paris Olympics later this month. Charania reports that Durant’s calf strain is sidelining him for the start of training camp as a precaution.
Durant, who turns 36 in September, has been a mainstay on the Olympic basketball circuit. He is tied with Carmelo Anthony for the most Olympic gold medals in men’s basketball with three (2012, 2016, and 2020) and is Team USA’s all-time leading scorer at the Olympics with 435 career points.
A calf injury is concerning for Durant, especially since he suffered a torn right Achilles tendon in 2019, which caused him to miss an entire season. However, Team USA has ample talent to manage without Durant temporarily. LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kawhi Leonard, and Anthony Davis are among the veterans returning to international competition, while Anthony Edwards, Tyrese Haliburton, and Joel Embiid are making their U.S. Olympic debuts.
Exhibition play starts on July 10, but Team USA’s first Olympic game is on July 28 against Serbia, giving Durant some recovery time. However, he may not be the only USA Basketball star dealing with injury concerns.