As the Paris Olympic Games are underway, many basketball fans are curious about why the U.S. Olympic men’s basketball team opts to stay outside the Olympic Village.
This decision, tracing back to the original Dream Team of Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson in 1992, has become a consistent tradition for Team USA.
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Player security main concern for Team USA
The Dream Team, consisting of some of the most famous athletes in the world, preferred first-class accommodations and cited security concerns as reasons for staying in a luxury hotel rather than the village.
Since then, every U.S. Olympic basketball team has followed this model.
Security and comfort are paramount for these high-profile athletes.
Kevin Durant, who is participating in his fourth Olympic Games, explained, “I don’t think we had a choice. I haven’t gotten into any (cardboard) beds since I’ve been doing this whole thing.”
Although not staying in the village, Durant emphasized that the team still engages with the Olympic community.
“The last few times I’ve done the Olympics, we’ve spent our fair share in the Olympic Village and felt like a part of the group there. We stay outside of it, but we get our time right before the opening ceremony. As we go to other sports as well, we get to walk through the village. So I think we get enough time there,”Durant shared.
Basketball players are not alone in this preference.
Tennis stars like Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, and the Williams sisters also stayed outside the village during the 2008 Beijing Games.
USA Track and Field, which includes high-profile athletes such as Noah Lyles and Sha’Carri Richardson, has not confirmed if its athletes will stay in the village, again citing security concerns.
Kevin Durant close to making a comeback
Currently, Durant is under careful management by Team USA’s training staff, his NBA team, the Phoenix Suns, and his personal representation as he recovers from a calf injury.
Coach Steve Kerr described the collaborative approach to Durant’s return, stating, “It’s not just our training staff, but [USA Basketball managing director Grant Hill] is constantly in touch with Kevin’s people and with the Suns. This is not going to be like us going out and saying, ‘Hey, let’s just throw him out there.’ This will be a big collaboration.”
Durant practiced on Wednesday, with Kerr indicating that a contact practice on Thursday would be crucial for Durant’s readiness.
“The plan is for him to get in the scrimmage and see how he handles that,”Kerr noted.
“He looked good today and he did everything and got a lot of shots up and told me he’s feeling pretty good.”
Team USA is also focusing on improving their gameplay, particularly in terms of three-point shooting.
After a narrow 92-88 loss to Germany, the team acknowledged the need to adjust their offensive pace and increase their three-point attempts.
Team USA will make their Paris debut on Sunday, July 28 against Serbia.
