Should Suns superstar Kevin Durant sit out Olympics to heal up for next season?

Great basketball players always say the same thing: Nothing compares to wearing a Team USA jersey. Nothing is more important than representing your country.

It’s a harsh reality for basketball fans in every NBA city.

Kevin Durant is just the latest example. His injury status has become a hot topic entering the Paris Olympics. He’s been day-to-day for two weeks while recovering from a calf strain. He didn’t play in any of Team USA’s exhibition games and is uncertain for Sunday’s Olympic opener against Serbia.

As if Suns fans weren’t tormented enough, Durant’s status is causing mild panic attacks in the middle of summer.

In a perfect world, Durant would pull the plug. Nothing should be more important than delivering the first NBA championship to Phoenix in 56 years. The Suns need him healthy and fresh for the grueling months ahead. Even in a best-case scenario, he does not need any more miles on the tires.

Same is true with Devin Booker. Both players received All-NBA recognition last season, but even more is required of them moving forward. Booker and Durant must be better leaders and better defenders. They must invest deeper in every facet of the program. They are mid-range marksmen and maestros who must take greater risks on the road ahead, expanding the offense by attempting far more 3-point shots despite the fear of off-nights and declining shooting percentages. They need to spearhead and bulwark an angry culture obsessed with winning a championship.

That’s a lot.

There is also a fundamental difference between the players. Durant will be 35 in September. He returned too soon from a calf injury during the 2019 NBA Finals and famously blew out his Achilles, missing the following NBA season in its entirety. He knows all about the risks he’s taking. And with his age and our stakes, the current risks no longer feel acceptable.

Durant is also a player that transcends the Suns and our collective fandom. His big picture is bigger than us. He was drafted by a franchise ripped out of Seattle, and he remains one of the last remaining SuperSonics in the NBA. He’s been part of three failed super teams, still booed when he shows up in Oklahoma City. His time in Golden State is largely misunderstood and generally considered a tragic flaw in his personal legacy. Truth is, he saved Stephen Curry’s legacy and all of their backsides in Golden State, elevating a Warriors team that had just choked away the NBA Finals.

Yet an Olympic gold medal represents a valuable asset in the portfolio. For greats like Jerry Colangelo and Charles Barkley, it can serve as a substitute for NBA championships that aren’t on the resume. For aging players like Durant, Curry and LeBron James, it can be framed for titles that no longer seem possible with their respective NBA teams.

Here’s hoping Durant doesn’t feel that way about his chances in Phoenix. And that he returns from the Olympics gilded and unscathed.

Reach Bickley at dbickley@arizonasports.com. Listen to Bickley & Marotta weekdays from 6 a.m. – 10 a.m. on 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station. 

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