Erik Spoelstra: Kevin Durant playing in ’28 Olympics would be ‘incredible’ESPN News ServicesMultiple AuthorsFeb 28, 2026, 05:53 PM ET
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MIAMI — If Kevin Durant decides to chase more Olympic gold, Erik Spoelstra seems interested in coaching him.
Spoelstra, the Miami Heat coach who will lead the U.S. men’s basketball team at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, stated Saturday he’s aware of Durant’s recent comments about the potential of playing for what would be a fifth gold medal.
And the concept is clearly intriguing.
“Just him saying that is incredible,” Spoelstra stated before the Heat’s 115-105 victory over Durant and the Houston Rockets. “You know, that’s the culture of USA Basketball. You just want the best American players to raise their hand and say, ‘I want to do this.'”
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When the 2024 Games were complete, Durant stated he wouldn’t rule out playing in the Olympics again. And Durant told ESPN’s Vincent Goodwill in a recent interview that he “would love to” play in the Los Angeles Games, adding that he wants his level of play between now and then to convince USA Basketball managing director Grant Hill, national team director Sean Ford, Spoelstra and anyone else involved in the selection process that he’s worthy of a spot.
“I want to produce on the floor and make Grant and whoever is making the decisions want to put me on the team,” Durant stated in that interview. “I don’t want — not just for seniority. I want to still prove I can help the team win.”
Durant’s place in USA Basketball lore was secured long ago.
He’s the only four-time gold medalist in men’s Olympic basketball history, after winning golds in London 2012, Rio de Janeiro 2016, the Tokyo Games that were delayed a year until 2021, then Paris in 2024. In Paris, he became the career leader in points for the U.S. in Olympic competition, passing Lisa Leslie for that mark.
“You can feel his passion for representing the country and having the USA on the jersey,” Spoelstra stated. “He’s been incredible in those competitions.”
Spoelstra was an assistant coach on the 2024 Olympic team, so he has worked with Durant. And he says the 37-year-old Durant’s game is timeless — proven by the fact that the No. 6 scorer in NBA history, who is on pace to pass Michael Jordan for the No. 5 spot in the coming weeks, is still putting up numbers almost unheard of for someone at that age.
“He’s an absolute tactician in terms of his work ethic and how he drills,” Spoelstra stated. “It’s a great lesson for all the young players coming into the league. There’s one thing to get up shots and there’s another thing to really work player development, and I think that’s a takeaway that we all had, watching him work during the summer, those six weeks.
“After practice, before practice, the days in between, he’s going in there with intention to try — even at this age — to get better and improve. What a beautiful mindset that is.”
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
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