Kevin Durant says Rio Olympics provided ‘therapy’ for him

Golden State Warriors player Kevin Durant recently said his time spent playing basketball for Team USA in Rio de Janeiro was “therapy” for him.

Kevin Durant quickly became the NBA’s biggest villain this offseason. He chose to leave his longtime team, the Oklahoma City Thunder, and joined the opposition, the Golden State Warriors. That put him on the team that was able to come back and defeat his Thunder in the Western Conference Finals.

Being the villain isn’t something most people may want. For Durant, it was an uncomfortable role and unfamiliar role to be in. However, an opportunity to represent his country at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro helped immensely. Durant recently spoke with The Vertical about that experience and how it impacted him, calling it therapeutic in a way.

"“It was therapy for me after making a big change in my life. It made my life easier … I knew [a backlash] was coming.“It was definitely different for me, but to come here in an environment where people accepted me and didn’t care about anything except being my buddy, that’s what I needed."

Durant was part of a Team USA effort that looked shaky at times during the preliminary round. However, he ended up emerging as the leader of the team in multiple games. Among his top outings was a 30-point performance in the gold medal win over Serbia. While Carmelo Anthony and Durant were considered the two veterans of the team, it ultimately became a team led by KD.

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For Durant, achieving that medal and getting cheered along with his teammates for it may have gone a long way. He’ll still have a long way to go this season as he plays away games in various arenas. That February 11 date when the Warriors play at Oklahoma City is looming and most likely circled on his calendar.