The USA basketball team emerged victorious against South Sudan with a final score of 103-86, thus the second official game. In an earlier warm-up match-up with the same team in which the Americans escaped shipping, they showed no mercy this time around and emerged winners of the match by 17 points. However, the focus was not only on the score as Kevin Durant started talking trash, and his act of mimicking South Sudan’s head coach Royal Ivey became the top trend.
Durant’s Fiery Return
Durant who had been out from the game for almost a month due to a calf strain was back on the court. Not only was he a good player, but he would also cheer up anyone who ventured to talk to him. There was a time when Durant pointed the finger at Ivey asserting that the result was his fault, Ivey who has earlier played for OKC and has been a teammate with Durant.
During the match, Russell, Westbrook, and other teammates were overheard using abusive language on each other before a free throw; a certain account captured Durant threatening his teammates, “Y’all nias ain’t tough. Yall nias are not tough.” This incident which was recorded on video camera and posted on the Internet became very popular and revealed the competitive character of Durant.
Anybody can get it pic.twitter.com/QaLwaelA70
— AA – (@AA_LCFC) July 31, 2024
Friends Turned Rivals
Royal Ivey is a former NBA player who played for approximately nine years; He joined the Thunder and the 76ers before going back to Oklahoma City Thunder in 2014. Since they had been friends, especially since they played for the Thunder team, their friendship had to be put aside whenever they had to represent their respective countries.
KD’s Impactful Performance
This brought great joy to the team USA when Durant returned to the play. Entering as a substitute in today’s game, he collected 14 points in 22 minutes, where he impressed with a 2-2 shooting from the 3-point line and 8-9 from the charity stripe. The latter said that his performance furthered the team’s morale and got South Sudan into foul trouble.
A Game to Remember
Throughout the entirety of the game, Royal Ivey was observed and heard engaging with Kevin Durant from the sidelines. However, Durant, always the competitor, didn’t hesitate to respond. His confident statement and the subsequent impressive performance highlighted Team USA’s dominance in the matchup.
As the Olympics progress, this interaction between Durant and Ivey will be remembered not only for the score but also for the heated exchanges that brought an extra level of intensity to the game. For both fans and players, it served as a reminder of the passion and competition that makes international basketball so captivating.
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