After months of waiting and anticipation, the men’s basketball roster of Team USA has commenced their Olympic run. Their first matchup against Serbia has brought an added delight for fans, as Kevin Durant returns to the main lineup. After developing a calf strain during training camp, his availability was initially under question. However, not only is Durant present, but he is also leading the offensive front for the USA against Nikola Jokic and co.

By halftime, reactions started to pour in from the NBA world over the 35-year-old’s performance. Among the first individuals to make his voice heard was four-time NBA champion Andre Iguodala. Taking to his official Twitter account, the 40-year-old simply tweeted “Kevin” to highlight his reaction to the ongoing USA-Serbia matchup.

Kevin Durant’s presence on the court drew immediate attention. Former Boston Celtics star Kevin Garnett noted, “KD was lookin anxious on the bench and we see why!”. The NBA world buzzed with excitement as Durant’s performance silenced any doubts.

In his 8 minutes and 39 seconds on the court, Kevin Durant accumulated 21 points and 1 rebound, going 8-8 on field goals and 5-5 on three-pointers. 19 of these points were secured within the first half, giving Team USA a much-needed edge after a rough start. Thanks to Durant’s efforts, along with LeBron James’s 12 points, the roster held a 58-49 lead over Serbia by halftime.

During the training camp session in Vegas, Kawhi Leonard was removed from Team USA since his previous injury prevented him from giving his 100%. However, Durant was not cut from the team. With 3 gold medals to his name, the Phoenix Suns star is the most experienced on the existing roster. Judging by how things turned out, betting on Durant seems to be paying off well.

NBA world and fans react as Kevin Durant makes a strong comeback amidst injury worries

No sooner had Kevin Durant concluded his 21-point performance when additional reactions started to pour in from all sides. 72-year-old Skip Bayless, a noted critic of LeBron James, tuned in early Sunday morning to view the USA-Serbia matchup live. As expected, Bayless praised Durant while belittling LeBron James, continuing his long-standing criticism of the Lakers star.

For a significant portion of LeBron James’s 21-year NBA career, Skip Bayless has remained a constant critic. From excluding the all-time NBA scorer from his ‘Top-5’ list to stating that a 52-year-old Michael Jordan would be a tougher one-on-one challenge, the controversial host seldom shies away from expressing his disdain for LeBron. His most recent attack came just five days ago after LeBron managed to pull off a last-quarter miracle and keep his team from losing to Germany during the exhibition series. Bayless dubbed him “LeBron, King of the Practice Games”, criticizing him for only winning in non-important games.

Another member of the sports fraternity to voice his reaction was former Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade. The 42-year-old, making his broadcasting debut, was selected alongside 149 other individuals to head the commentary for the Paris Olympics. Watching the game live, Wade simply stated, “He’s just really good at basketball,” in reference to Durant.

Having been rivals on the court for over 12 years until Wade’s retirement, the duo experienced each other’s competitive drive. This may have allowed them to form an unspoken bond based on mutual respect. Back in 2022, it was Kevin Durant who promoted ‘The Redeem Team’ documentary that highlighted Dwyane Wade’s successful 2008 Olympic run. Now, it is Wade who is promoting his former rival’s efforts.

While he may not have had the chance to represent his country on the international stage, CJ McCollum continues to cheer on his NBA rivals in their gold medal pursuit. Durant’s performance certainly would have left him on the floor, as his instant reaction involved invoking the name of the “Good Lord.”

McCollum’s name recently became connected with Durant after a picture of Anthony Edwards dunking over the Suns star went viral. Once Durant saw the picture, he replied, “I tried Jennifer,” referencing a 2018 remark from McCollum when a fan told him to “win a playoff game and then talk”.

Following the same trail of praise as the NBA fraternity, one social media user also sent out his praise for Kevin Durant. However, unlike Skip Bayless, he chose to give credit where it was due and mentioned LeBron James as well. With the duo side by side, the fan believed that Team USA wouldn’t get steamrolled so easily.

LeBron James and Kevin Durant came out on top during this matchup, putting up 21 and 23 points respectively. This allowed Team USA to gain the required edge after the rocky start. With the exception of the duo, no one else managed to cross the 20+ point mark, while Joel Embiid, Bam Adebayo, Anthony Davis, and Derrick White scored within the single digits.

Overall, the reactions sang only praises of the Phoenix Suns star. Having achieved this major win early on, the expectations on him will only increase going forward.