Olympic Baseball 2021: USA vs. Japan Set for Gold-Medal Game
Aug 5, 2021
USA's baseball team players and coaches gather in front of dugout prior to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games baseball round 2 game between USA and Japan at Yokohama Baseball Stadium in Yokohama, Japan, on August 2, 2021. (Photo by KAZUHIRO FUJIHARA / AFP) (Photo by KAZUHIRO FUJIHARA/AFP via Getty Images)
In a rematch of one of the best games from the tournament, Japan and the United States will square off for the gold medal in baseball at the Tokyo Olympics on Saturday.
The host nation has been the best team throughout the event with a perfect 4-0 record. Its lineup has been fantastic, scoring 23 runs in four games.
The South Korean squad did get a second shot at qualifying for the final when it met the Americans in the second semifinal Thursday. The U.S. won the first meeting between these two teams 4-2 in group play Saturday.
Team USA once again took care of business with a 7-2 victory to get another attempt at beating Japan.
Team USA played its most complete game of the tournament Thursday. Jack Lopez started the scoring with an RBI single in the bottom of the second.
In Wednesday's semifinal, Japan briefly appeared to be on the ropes against South Korea. The South Koreans got two runs in the top of the sixth to even the score 2-2.
The Japanese put together a two-out rally in the bottom of the eighth with the help of some sloppy pitching by South Korea's bullpen.
Kensuke Kondoh reached first on a fielder's choice with two outs. Korean reliever Go Woo-suk proceeded to throw a wild pitch, intentionally walked Munetaka Murakami and issued a free pass to Takuya Kai that loaded the bases.
Tetsuto Yamada cleared the bases with a three-run double that gave Japan a 5-2 advantage. Ryoji Kuribayashi closed out the win by pitching a scoreless ninth.
After both teams went undefeated in group play, the U.S. and Japan met in the second round of the tournament on Monday.
The two teams traded haymakers in the middle innings, with the United States scoring three runs each in the fourth and fifth to take a 6-3 lead. Japan got two runs back in the bottom of the fifth.
Yuki Yanagita tied the game with an RBI single off Scott McGough in the bottom of the ninth. Takuya Kai walked it off in the 10th with a single that scored Yanagita for the 7-6 victory.
Japan has never won an Olympic gold medal in baseball. It has only been in the final once in 1996, when it lost to Cuba, and has won bronze twice. The United States is looking for its second Olympic gold and first since 2000.
South Korea will play the Dominican Republic in the bronze-medal game on Friday night at 11 p.m. ET.
USWNT's Megan Rapinoe 'Gutted'; Alex Morgan 'Devastated'; Carli Lloyd 'Not Done Yet'
Aug 3, 2021
KASHIMA, JAPAN - AUGUST 02: Carli Lloyd #10 of Team United States looks dejected following defeat in the Women's Semi-Final match between USA and Canada on day ten of the Tokyo Olympic Games at Kashima Stadium on August 02, 2021 in Kashima, Ibaraki, Japan. (Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images)
The star players on the United States women's national soccer team had similar reactions following their semifinal loss to Canada at the Tokyo Olympics.
Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe and Carli Lloyd were all upset but forward-looking in their social media posts Tuesday:
Devastated to say the least not to be competing for a gold medal, but hungry for more and thankful we get to compete for bronze in 2 days. Thank you everyone for the support!
“Life has knocked me down a few times. It showed me things I never wanted to see. I experienced sadness and failures. But one thing for sure, I always get up.” #stillnotdone#Tokyo2020pic.twitter.com/B1f7f5PZWB
"Gutted. Motivated. Together. We have it all to play for," Rapinoe posted on Instagram, via ESPN.
"Not done yet," Lloyd added.
The United States will not play for a gold medal after the 1-0 loss to Canada, but will have a chance to play for the bronze medal Thursday against Australia.
Morgan, Lloyd and Rapinoe have seen plenty of ups and downs for Team USA over the past decade. They were all on the 2012 team that won gold at the London Olympics as well as the 2016 squad that lost in the quarterfinal and failed to medal.
The Americans are also coming off a win in the 2019 World Cup but failed to live up to their enormous expectations at these Olympics. Prior to the loss to Canada, the United States went just 1-1-1 in three group-stage matches before surviving on penalty kicks against the Netherlands in the quarterfinal.
These three stars will have to regroup for the bronze-medal match before considering the next steps of their careers.
Katie Ledecky Expresses Support for Simone Biles: 'Mental Health Is So Important'
Jul 28, 2021
Katie Ledecky of United States prepares to start in the women's 200-meter freestyle final at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, July 28, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
Katie Ledecky sympathized with fellow Olympian Simone Biles after the American gymnast cited her mental health in withdrawing from the team and individual all-around competitions at the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
"I would never want to speak for Simone or say that I know what she’s feeling because none of us do, but I understand it," Ledecky told reporters. "We’re at the highest level, we have the most eyes on us of anyone in the world right now. I’m not just saying us as in Simone and me, I’m saying everyone at the Olympics. I mean everyone around the world is watching."
The six-time Olympic gold medalist added the attention and scrutiny that comes with competing in the Olympics can put a strain on an athlete.
“Mental health is so important, physical health is so important, and it’s no different being Olympians," Ledecky said. "It’s something that we all have to watch out for, watch out for each other and help each other through in times of need.”
For Biles, the burden was even higher because she was arguably the face of Team USA for this year's Summer Games. And the standard she had set for herself coming into this summer raised expectations to an almost unattainable level.
The New York Times' Juliet Macur profiled Biles as the Olympics were getting underway and described just how exacting the last few years have been on her.
Beyond the physical wear and tear of competing and training, the 24-year-old suffered the trauma of watching the Larry Nassar scandal unfold. More than 150 women and girls said in court that they were sexually abused by Nassar during his time as a doctor for Michigan State and USA Gymnastics. Nassar was sentenced in 2018 to at least 100 years in prison on child pornography and sexual assault convictions.
Biles revealed in January 2018 she was among Nassar's victims, and Macur described her as feeling "betrayed" and "[believing] that her sport didn’t care for her at all" from the saga.
The four-time Olympic gold medalist was blunt when discussing her motivations for continuing to compete.
"I’m going to go out there and represent the USA, represent World Champions Centre, and represent Black and brown girls over the world," Biles told Macur. "At the end of the day, I’m not representing USA Gymnastics."
Biles helped the United States win silver in the team competition earlier this week.
USA Gymnastics announced Wednesday morning that she wouldn't participate in the all-around final. Her status for the individual competitions remains up in the air.
U.S. Gymnasts' Grit Without Biles Can't Hide Reality Check for Team's Future
Jul 27, 2021
TOKYO, JAPAN - JULY 27: Sunisa Lee of Team United States is embraced by teammate Simone Biles during the Women's Team Final on day four of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Ariake Gymnastics Centre on July 27, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
After the Russian Olympic Committee beat the U.S. women's gymnastics team by over a point in qualifications at the Tokyo Olympics on Sunday, many assumed Team USA would bounce back for the team final. After all, they had Simone Biles, right?
But in a shocking turn Tuesday, that was not the case. Biles dropped out of the competition for an undisclosed medical reason, leaving the U.S. gymnasts at a major disadvantage.
Team USA should be proud that its remaining competitors were able to win silver under such difficult circumstances. However, the situation exposed the Americans' overreliance on Biles and could signal the end of an era of their unchallenged dominance.
The Russian Olympic Committee performed relatively well in team finals, coming back from two balance-beam falls in the third rotation to take the gold by more than three points in the four-event competition. But sadly, it was not a victory over the best team in the world. It was contingent upon Biles having a major error on vault in the Americans' opening event and then scratching.
Team USA's remaining three athletes—Grace McCallum, Jordan Chiles and Sunisa Lee—showed real grit in the face of adversity in the team final. Each came through for Biles with a clutch performance.
Chiles, who was originally replaced in the beam lineup after having two falls in qualifications, hit there and on bars. Lee, who is still on the road back from an ankle injury, replaced Biles on floor. They are a testament to how strong and deep this team is even without its star.
TOKYO, JAPAN - JULY 27: Simone Biles hugs teammate Jordan Chiles of Team United States during the Women's Team Final on day four of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Ariake Gymnastics Centre on July 27, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
However, their loss is a testament to how much this team has relied on Biles' dominance for the past eight years. Not having the GOAT to bring in the big numbers was a big hit to the Americans' final score.
Back in April, ROC national team coordinator Valentina Rodionenko said of Biles: "You remove her and we will easily beat them." That statement proved prescient Tuesday.
The score was close going into the final rotation, with both teams on the floor exercise. But without Biles' massive potential score, it would have taken a series of major errors for the ROC to lose.
Biles was set to compete on all four events Tuesday—she still has eight more routines to go in these Olympics if competes in the all-around and event finals—and has by leaps and bounds the most international experience of the team. Her teammates rely on her to provide leadership and support, and she even did that after being sidelined, as she stayed on the competition floor to support them (and Angelina Melnikova).
TOKYO, JAPAN - JULY 27: Jordan Chiles, Simone Biles, Grace McCallum and Sunisa Lee of Team United States react on the podium after winning the silver medal during the Women's Team Final on day four of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Ariake Gymnastics Cent
Even for an athlete of Biles' caliber, the weight of those expectations is astronomical. In an emotional Instagram post after the team's disappointing qualification outing, Biles said, "I truly do feel like I have the weight of the world on my shoulders at times."
The expectation to be a team leader may be even stronger now, as leadership does not seem to be coming from on high. After the subpar qualification round, U.S. national team coordinator Tom Forster did not express worry, telling the media "it will all work out" before brusquely leaving a press availability.
Forster's strategy for choosing the team has also been widely criticized, as he opted to choose the team based on rank order after the Olympic trials rather than taking the potentially highest-scoring team. At the time, he claimed that "a few tenths" wouldn't matter, and to be fair, they wouldn't have Tuesday. But having MyKayla Skinner on the team could have brought in valuable experience here, along with potentially strong routines on vault, beam and floor.
Hopefully his team selection process will be more strategic in the future, because at these Olympics, the ROC has shown that it should not be underestimated. In qualifications, the idea that the gold was all but guaranteed for the U.S. has been dashed, as the ROC harkened back to the days of Russian dominance in the sport when it hit 12 of 12 routines to place first. The ROC deserves a lot of credit for such a brilliant performance in qualifications and to pull off the win in the final despite those two beam falls.
It's just a shame that it comes with a caveat—that the U.S. was without its star—when in reality, the ROC has one of the strongest teams we've seen in a long time. The team is led by an incredible trio of athletes, including Melnikova, a veteran, and two others who are still up-and-coming. Viktoria Listunova, for one, wouldn't even have been able to participate last year, as she wouldn't have been age-eligible, and 16-year-old Vladislava Urazova is expected to make a splash in the all-around final.
Their strength combined with Biles' impending retirement means that future team finals are bound to get more interesting, and these Games may be a preview of what's to come. But that doesn't mean the U.S. women have failed—or will have failed.
A "bad" day for the U.S. is a great day for most other teams, and a silver medal in the team final with two athletes qualified for every individual final is nothing to scoff at.
As the ROC gymnasts celebrated their win, Biles congratulated them and stood on the podium with her teammates, happily displaying their silver medals. At the end of the day, having a silver as your fallback option isn't a bad place to be.
ROC Tops USA in 2021 Olympic Women's Gymnastics Team All-Around with Simone Biles Out
Jul 27, 2021
Simone Biles, of the United States, stands wearing a mask after she exited the team final with apparent injury, at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, July 27, 2021, in Tokyo. The 24-year-old reigning Olympic gymnastics champion Biles huddled with a trainer after landing her vault. She then exited the competition floor with the team doctor. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
On the heels of Simone Biles leaving the women's gymnastics team competition after just one rotation at the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo on Tuesday, Team USA fell to the Russian Olympic Committee.
ROC took gold with a total score of 169.528, while the Americans settled for silver with a score of 166.096. Great Britain won bronze with 164.096 points.
Here is a look at the full finishing order, courtesy of Olympics.com:
1. Russian Olympic Committee: 169.528
2. United States: 166.096
3. Great Britain: 164.096
4. Italy: 163.638
5. Japan: 163.280
6. France: 163.264
7. China: 161.196
8. Belgium: 159.695
Biles was removed from the competition after falling on her vault attempt. Biles scored just 13.766 on the vault, which was well below her usual score:
Reports are stating that Simone Biles is being attended to by a trainer and has left the field of play at the Ariake Gymnastics Centre #Tokyo2020#SimoneBiles has not warmed up for the uneven bars, USA's second apparatus and reserve Jordan Chiles has.
Jordan Chiles replaced Biles on the uneven bars, and Al Butler of United Press International reported a Team USA coach told the NBC broadcast that Biles exited the competition because of a "mental issue" and not an injury.
USA Gymnastics later released a statement, saying Biles had a "medical issue" and would be assessed moving forward:
Official statement: "Simone Biles has withdrawn from the team final competition due to a medical issue. She will be assessed daily to determine medical clearance for future competitions."
Despite losing arguably the greatest gymnast of all time early in the team competition, Team USA remained within striking distance throughout thanks to strong performances from Chiles, Sunisa Lee and Grace McCallum on the uneven bars and balance beam.
The Americans were only about a half-point behind the ROC when the final rotation began, but disaster struck during the floor exercise. Chiles slipped and fell late in her routine, scoring just 11.700 points.
While the miscue was disappointing for 20-year-old and Team USA, Juliet Macur of the New York Times attempted to put her overall performance in perspective:
Jordan Chiles scored 11.7 points for her floor routine, after a fall, and the U.S.'s chances for gold just disappeared. Kudos to Chiles, though, for taking Simone Biles's place on the uneven bars and balance beam when she didn't expect to compete on them. She can be proud.
With the second-place finish, Team USA's run of Olympic gold in the team competition came to an end at two in a row, although the Americans are still the reigning five-time world champions in the team event.
The silver medal is the first of Biles' Olympic career after she won four golds and one bronze at the 2016 Summer Games. Meanwhile, Lee, Chiles and McCallum all won their first Olympic medals on Tuesday.
As for ROC, the quartet of Liliia Akhaimova, Viktoriia Listunova, Angelina Melnikova and Vladislava Urazova brought a Russian team its first gold in women's team gymnastics since the Unified Team took gold in 1992.
A ruling last year by the Court of Arbitration for Sport banned Russia's team name as punishment for an extensive doping program and cover-ups, and all Russian athletes at the Tokyo Games are competing for the ROC.
Olympic Men's Gymnastics 2021: Team All-Around Medal Winners and Scores
Jul 26, 2021
Nikita Nagornyy, of the Russian Olympic Committee, performs on the pommel horse during the artistic gymnastic men's team final at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Monday, July 26, 2021, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
The Russian Olympic Committee claimed the men's gymnastics gold medal on Monday, narrowly defeating Japan in the team all-around competition.
The ROC's final score of 262.500 was just 0.103 ahead of Japan and not even a point ahead of bronze medalist China in a thrilling final. All Russian athletes at the Tokyo Games are competing for the ROC. A ruling last year by the Court of Arbitration for Sport banned Russia's team name as punishment for an extensive doping program and cover-ups.
Great Britain came in fourth place, while the United States was fifth.
Gold: ROC 262.500 Silver: Japan 262.397 Bronze: China 261.894 4th: Great Britain 255.760 5th: United States 254.594
Artur Dalaloyan and Nikita Nagornyy spearheaded the effort from the ROC. Nagornyy clinched the gold with an excellent floor routine of 14.666, giving him just enough points to put ROC ahead of Japan.
Daiki Hashimoto clinched the silver for Japan with his scintillating bar routine.
This was the closest race for the gold since the Perfect 10 system was eliminated.
Olympic Basketball 2021: TV Schedule, Live Stream and Odds for Day 3
Jul 26, 2021
Spain's Ricky Rubio (9) plays against the United States during the second half of an exhibition basketball game in preparation for the Olympics, Sunday, July 18, 2021, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
The women's teams will take center stage on Day 3 of the Olympic Basketball tournament at Saitama Super Arena in Tokyo.
Some heavy favorites will be in action including the United States, which will have its first matchup of the Games against Nigeria.
The United States women's team has captured six consecutive Olympic gold medals and figures to be the favorite for a seventh in Japan. It is -1100 (bet $1100 to win $100) to win the tournament at DraftKings Sportsbook.
But the U.S. men's shock loss to France shows that international competition isn't always easy to predict. Australia has the next best odds (+1500) and will also be in action on Tuesday. It's also worth noting it is coming off a win over Team USA in a preparation exhibition.
Here's a look at the complete schedule for the day and a preview of the key matchups.
Day 3 Olympic Basketball Schedule
Monday, July 26
Men's: Japan vs. Spain (-18), 8 a.m. ET, NBC Sports App, NBCOlympics.com
Women's: Japan vs. France (-9), 9 p.m. ET, NBC Sports App, NBCOlympics.com
Women's: USA (-30) vs. Nigeria, 12:40 a.m. ET, USA, NBCOlympics.com
The first look at the United States women's team headlines the day. It gets the opportunity to ease into pool play with the Nigerian team on tap. Nigeria already carries a No. 17 FIBA ranking, but it wasn't helped when a pair of WNBA players were denied the opportunity to play.
Nneka Ogwumike and Elizabeth Williams both previously played for Team USA. However, when they didn't make the Olympic roster for the Stars and Stripes, they attempted to petition to play for Nigeria.
Their appeal was denied by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, leaving the Nigerian team short of two potential stars for their squad.
The American team is again loaded with talent and familiar faces. Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi are gunning for their fifth Olympic gold medal. They made their debuts at the Games in 2004 when they were teammates with current U.S. head coach Dawn Staley.
The coach is happy with the leadership she is seeing from the veterans, noting Taurasi specifically:
"She just raises the level of our practice, our ability to make great basketball decisions—passing, shooting the basketball, just her whole morale," Staley said, per Mechelle Voepel of ESPN. "She is high energy and just takes our practice to another level."
After the United States men's loss to France in pool play, Spain has to feel good about its chances of making a run at gold. That spells bad news for the Japanese team.
Spain figures to be among the elite teams in this tournament. With Marc and Paul Gasol, Juancho and Willy Hernangomez and a host of other former and current NBA talents such as Ricky Rubio, they have one of the deepest talent pools to work with.
Japan, meanwhile, went 0-5 in the FIBA Asia tournament that saw Iran earn a berth with a 2-3 record. It will lean heavily on Washington Wizards forward Rui Hachimura.
The host nation's women's side has a much better chance in its opening game against the French. France carries a No. 5 ranking from FIBA, but Japan isn't that far behind at No. 10.
The team did pick up a prep win against Belgium and plays with intensity and energy. That should only be compounded by the fact that it is the home team and winning this game will determine whether it even has a shot to get out of the group phase.
It's in a difficult group, with Team USA virtually guaranteed a quarterfinals spot and France coming in as the favorite to get the second.
But if the three-pointers start going in and Japan can force some early turnovers, things could get interesting.
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Olympic women's basketball has gone through some changes since the last Games were held five years ago in Rio de Janeiro...
Kevin Durant, Team USA Earn 1st Olympic Exhibition Win with Victory vs. Argentina
Jul 14, 2021
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 13: Kevin Durant #7 of the USA Men's National Team high fives Zach LaVine #5 of the USA Men's National Team during the game against the Argentina Men's National Team on July 13, 2021 at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images)
Team USA is finally in the win column as its men's basketball team prepares for the Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
The United States took down Argentina 108-80 Tuesday after dropping its first two exhibition games in Las Vegas. The results led some to wonder whether the U.S. is headed for another disappointment on par with the bronze-medal finish in the 2004 Summer Games.
Beating Argentina, the No. 4 team in the FIBA world rankings, will ease some of those concerns.
Zach LaVine was one of five U.S. players to score in double figures, and no two of his points were more emphatic than this dunk on Juan Pablo Vaulet.
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) July 13, 2021
The U.S. squad appeared to carry a chip on its shoulder as it led 33-19 after the first quarter. The advantage grew slightly to 16 points at halftime and Argentina was unable to make it much of a game in the second half.
Notable Performers
Kevin Durant, United States: 17 points, six rebounds, three assists, one steal
Bradley Beal, United States: 17 points, six rebounds, three assists, one steal
Damian Lillard, United States: 13 points, three rebounds, four assists, one block
Luis Scola, Argentina: 16 points, five rebounds, two assists
Durant Too Good for Argentina
The international game has caught up to the United States, but one obvious question remains: How will the rest of the world stop Kevin Durant?
The 11-time All-Star allayed the fears about his Achilles injury by averaging 26.9 points, 7.1 rebounds and 5.6 assists during the NBA regular season and then carrying the Brooklyn Nets in the playoffs. He's basically the same player he was prior to the injury.
Team USA can't be a one-man show built around Durant and still win gold because the competition is too strong. But he's clearly the best individual player in the competition.
That Durant guy might have a future in basketball..
Durant already has two gold medals to his name, and he put up 20.6 points per game across the 2012 and 2016 Olympics and 2010 FIBA Basketball World Cup. His international record is impeccable.
One downside to playing with the United States is that the roster is often so collectively strong that it's difficult for one player to shine above the rest. On a 2020 team that's good but not the best available to Team USA, Durant has an opportunity to make this year's Summer Games his own.
Team USA Displays New Sense of Urgency
The biggest reason not to hit the panic button with Team USA was that the Nigeria and Australia games were probably as bad as things would get in terms of the performance.
"I thought we got better tonight," coach Gregg Popovich told reporters after Tuesday's loss. "After a short time together, there’s a lot of things that have to be covered, but the first half and the second half were two different beasts."
The offensive fluidity for the U.S. should improve as the players spend more time on the court together, and the start to training camp may have served as a reminder of the level that will be required in Tokyo.
On Tuesday, this was a different Team USA from the start of the exhibition slate:
The earlier hand-wringing about Team USA was warranted because the players came out pretty flat, and a seventh-place finish in the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup wasn't that long ago.
But the U.S. appears to be righting the ship a bit in Las Vegas.
What's Next?
Team USA will have an opportunity to avenge its loss to Australia on Friday.
Kevin Durant: Team USA Aims to 'Honor' Kobe Bryant with Play at Tokyo Olympics
Jul 9, 2021
Kevin Durant shoots during practice for USA Basketball, Wednesday, July 7, 2021, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant spoke about the influence late Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant has on him and the rest of the United States men's Olympic basketball team during a press conference on Friday (h/t Angelo Guinhawa of ClutchPoints).
— The 3 Point Conversion (@3ptCnvrsn) July 9, 2021
“Kobe Bryant is the guy that all of us looked up to and watched as kids. And even when he was alive and playing, his DNA was embedded in us as players. From afar, [he] taught us what the game is about, what work ethic is about.
And we all kind of pull from him when he was playing and when he was alive. And now that he’s not with us no more, we all want to honor his teachings by going out there and playing with that passion, with that energy every single play.
And guys that had close relationships understand how he will approach every single day, especially with Team USA. He really took pride in being a part of this group and part of this team.
We all feed off of that type of energy, and Kobe always brought that, so he's always big to everyone of us here. We miss him, we miss him dearly because he would be in here, supporting us.
Bryant's decorated career included plenty of success on the international stage, including a pair of Olympic gold medals and the 2007 FIBA World Championship gold medal with Team USA.
Durant and Bryant played together on the 2012 Olympic team, which went undefeated and won a gold medal over Spain in London. That group outscored their opponents by an average of 32.1 points per game.
KD has also built an excellent international basketball resume, winning two Olympic gold medals in addition to World Championship gold. He notably led the Olympic team in scoring in 2012 and 2016.
Durant is looking for his third Olympic gold at this year's Summer Games, and he'll be flanked by some talented players:
