Kevin Durant puts critics, including ex-teammate Kendrick Perkins, on blast after winning gold

It felt like Kevin Durant barely missed a shot during a historic run to a third gold medal – and he certainly didn’t miss his critics post-game.

Fresh off his third MVP performance in a third gold medal game, Kevin Durant was still in attack mode.

The 32-year-old has been the backbone of the US team for a decade, scoring more Olympic points than any man in his country’s basketball history, and he was again the standout in a 87-82 win against France.

He drilled 29 points to go with the 30 he bagged in the 2012 final against Spain and 30 in the 2016 decider against Serbia, reinforcing his incredible consistency.

In doing so, he became the first American player to score more than 100 points in three different Olympics, accumulating 124 in Japan.

And in true Durant style he immediately hit social media to put his critics on blast.

Streaming a live video as he walked with teammate Draymond Green, Durant delivered some choice words for anyone who doubted the Americans after they lost two warm-up games and their opening encounter in Tokyo.

“Everybody who said we were going to take the L …” Durant said, before Green interjected.

“Kendrick Perkins, you talk a lot of s***, a lot of s***. Act like you American,” he said.

“this skill is unmatched.” pic.twitter.com/cq4vSZyKFJ

— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) August 7, 2021

Durant then continued: “ … they had some power rankings, they had us fourth. Behind Slovenia. C‘mon man. Talking about how they’re

catching up to us, like are you serious? This skill is unmatched, you dig. Shout out to everyone who won this gold, everyone who chipped in and

helped out. We’re going to the press conference but I had to talk my s*** real quick”.

Durant went even harder in his press conference, also calling out Perkins, his former Oklahoma City teammate who said pre-Games he “wasn’t confident at all” in the team’s chances.

“You turn on American sports talk TV, and you got guys like Kendrick Perkins, you know, doubting us,” Durant said.

Kevin Durant celebrates after winning his third gold medal. (Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images)

“Somebody needs to teach these people some loyalty. How about you cheer for your country? But then when guys don’t play, ‘Oh, you need to

go represent the country’. And then you lose, hit a little bump in the road. And everybody’s, ‘Oh, everybody’s caught America’. You are an

American, too. Act like it. Do your job.

“You know, I do some media stuff. I understand doing your job. But, when you talk about a special group, you better be sure you’re right. And a

lot of people got it wrong. And trust me, I’ll be posting those guys. I’ll be posting everybody I found who said something. No one holds people

accountable anymore, but I will.”

Perkins was quick to offer his congratulations after the medal was sewn up.

Hell Yeah!!! Shoutout to Team USA Men’s Basketball team for bringing home that Gold Medal! In Kevin Durant we TRUST. Jrue Holiday with an impressive run over the last 4 months winning a NBA Championship and a Gold Medal!!! 🥇🥇🥇

— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) August 7, 2021

Durant, who is poised to sign a four-year, $270 million contract extension with the Nets, according to his manager, scored 21 of his points Saturday in the first half.

He was quieter in the fourth term until he drained a pair of crucial free throws with eight seconds left.

“When you are part of a team that is evolving by the second, it’s just amazing to see. Every game we continued to grow,” he said, after the US were stunned in their opening group game by France.

“It’s just that journey that is so important, you realise. You finish the job and get the gold medal, but when you go through that journey, man, it is just so special.

“I am bonded with these guys for life, it’s a family for life. I am grateful we all committed to this (Olympics) early and finished it off.”

Durant said he was reluctant to compare the gold medal in Japan with his previous two “because everything is its own memory”.

“But this is one of those special journeys that is hard to describe,” he added. “Each one of us put in that work every single day. From the coaches, to the trainers, to the players.

Kevin Durant did his best to put the game away in the first half. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

“We all came in with the goal of let’s finish this thing off, let’s build a family, let’s build a team, let’s finish this thing off.”

US coach Gregg Popovich said he was “totally frozen” when his team won, calling it “an out of body experience when you are in those kinds of games”.

“Every championship is special, every group is special, but I can be honest and say this is the most responsibility I’ve ever felt, because you’re playing for so many people that are watching it for your country,” he said.

Popovich had special praise for Durant, whose experience proved vital to taking home the title.

“The relationships he builds with teammates, the respect he garners, the joy he has in playing is like osmosis.

It goes into all the other players,” he said.

“That sort of love of the game and of people is what makes him more special as a player.”

– with AFP