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Team USA’s Kevin Durant Beats LeBron James & Michael Jordan for a Rare Olympics Record

Published 08/06/2021, 11:41 PM EDT

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via Reuters

Team USA Men’s Basketball Team continued with their slow starts even in the Gold medal game at the Tokyo Olympics. The defending champions started with a 4-10 mark as the French side pushed the gas pedal early. However, Kevin Durant could still make his presence felt in those initial minutes. 

If not for KD, there was no way the Americans would have finished the first quarter with a crucial 4-point lead. With that consistency in his performance, the lethal sniper got his name etched in Golden letters alongside the greats.

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Kevin Durant left Michael Jordan & LeBron James behind

In the finals game, Kevin Durant was the first player to reach the double-figure as he single-handedly took care of the Frenchmen. At one point, the 2x NBA Champion had 19 points out of Team USA’s total 39. Plus, this wasn’t the first time he played like this. In the last fortnight, he has been the most consistent American hoopster, claiming back-to-back big nights.

As a result, KD has now become the first player ever to amount 100+ points thrice in the Olympics. Neither MJ (‘84, ‘92) nor Bron (‘04, ‘08, ‘12) could cover one such tremendous mark.

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Now, with the next Olympics coming back in a gap of just three years, chances are strong that a 35-YO KD can come back and further make this a 4x record.

WATCH: Kevin Durant Makes Back to Back Difficult Shots to Keep Team USA in the Game vs Australia in Tokyo Olympics Semifinals

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KD kept the American dream safe and alive 

In the semis against Marc Gasol’s Australia, the US was trailing by 15 points when Kevin Durant was doing all the heavy lifting. It was because of his scoring and leadership that the likes of Devin Booker & Jayson Tatum later saved the game.

The Sniper entered the finals with an average of 19 under his belt. He had scored 10 (France), 10 (Iran), 23 (Czech Republic), 29 (Spain), and 23 (Australia) before facing Evan Fournier and his men. But with 21 points by halftime at 7/14 from the field and two successful three-pointers, he entered the league of very few athletes who ever averaged 20+.

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Do you think Luka Doncic (Slovenia) can beat these records of KD in the upcoming additions? Help us know in the comments section below.

Watch this story – Zach LaVine and Other Stars’ Top Performance from the Tokyo Olympics Men’s Basketball Semis

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Written by:

Sourabh Singh

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Sourabh Singh is an NBA sports analyst for EssentiallySports, who has been working with the site since May 2020. Prior to this, he functioned as Managing Editor at WittyFeed, followed by a stint at Decathlon. The Sports Management graduate leads an active lifestyle, veering to the mountains for off-trail adventures.
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