Olympic Gold: The Reaper of the Dream Team

On the national team stage, Kevin Durant extended the 'Reaper' persona. He won Olympic gold twice with Team USA: the 2012 London and 2016 Rio Games, among the most stable perimeterfirepower points of the 'Dream Team.'

Durant's Olympic value lies in 'seamless fit.' Under FIBA rules there is no defensive three-second and space is more open; his long-arm pull-up is almost unguardable from mid-range; and international help defense differs from the NBA, making Durant's unsolvable isolation even more lethal. Whether spot-up spacing or clutch one-on-one, he provided insurance for Team USA.

More rare, Durant had almost no off-court turmoil on the national team—serious training,obeys the system, getting along with teammates—a contrast to the occasionally amplified controversies in the NBA. For him, wearing the national jersey was both an honor and a relaxation of 'pure basketball.'

Two Olympic golds add international weight to Durant's trophy case. For a player who built his name on scoring, winning MVP, FMVP, and scoring titles in the NBA while also taking gold on the world stage shows his weapons translate globally. The Reaper, on whatever court, is the opponent's nightmare.

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