Even when Team USA landed in Paris, there was no confirmation of Kevin Durant’s availability. The Slim Reaper didn’t participate in a single practice, let alone an exhibition game, due to his calf injury. The ailment put his participation against Serbia in question too. However, a few intense scrimmages and KD’s drive to don the jersey have led to a drastic change in his status.

Kevin Durant is now available to play against Nikola Jokic and Serbia in Team USA’s Paris Olympic opening contest. Until yesterday, the wiry forward was listed as questionable by USA Basketball. But according to their latest updates, Durant is cleared to share the floor alongside his decorated teammates.

Durant will be playing in a record fourth Olympics. The two-time NBA champion previously acted as the catalyst, maintaining the USA’s dominance by bringing three gold medals over the past decade. Now, the Suns ace is chasing uncharted history, trying to become the first USA men’s basketball player to have four gold medals.

In other news, Joel Embiid, who suffered an illness after the opening ceremony, has also received the green light to play against the Joker. The Process missed the latest Team USA practice owing to his sickness but seems to have recovered in the short time since. Anthony Davis, who also reportedly missed practice due to an illness, is likely to suit up against Serbia today.

Kevin Durant, Curry, and LeBron James will finally play together

Not just USA fans, but the entire basketball fraternity felt despair when Kevin Durant couldn’t play a single minute of showcase basketball. It prolonged the sight of seeing him, the King, and Curry all run down the same end, playing off each other. However, now that the Slim Reaper is cleared to play, Steve Kerr will finally put together his version of the ‘death lineup’.

Given Durant’s experience at the Olympics and his being the winningest men’s player, there is no question of him being part of the starting lineup. James and Curry have felt the excitement of playing with each other. Now, it’s time for the generational trio to unite. It’s an opportunity KD has been looking forward to since being selected for the team.

“It’s nothing but respect for these guys. You’ve seen their careers for the last 15, 20 years. So to finally be teammates—and it’s not just them, I feel the same way about Anthony Davis, just admiring him for so long and now being in the same locker room with him—it’s pretty cool, just being able to sit and observe what they do,” he told Tim Bontemps of ESPN.

Kevin Durant has scored the most points in USA men’s Olympic history and is on pace to become the most prolific of them all. And with Curry and James running the floor with him, he will feel secure about his chances to crack the walls of history soon.