"Am I a bad person?" - Kevin Durant disappointed by Nike snub from ad featuring Giannis Antetokounmpo and Victor Wembanyama
Kevin Durant hasn’t played an exhibition game yet for Team USA but he is expected to suit up in the Olympics. Durant has been a staple on the Americans’ side since the 2010 FIBA World Cup in Turkey. He led the USA’s gold-medal winning sides in the past three editions of the quadrennial event.
Leading into the Paris Olympics, Nike released a commercial featuring different players from different sports. LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Victor Wembanyama and even the late Kobe Bryant are in the ad. Strangely enough, KD wasn’t on the video.
Kevin Durant reacted to the snub on Instagram with a story for Nike:
“@nike tell me, Am I a bad person?????”
The question was based on the hair-tingling Willem Dafoe voice-over. Dafoe’s narration brings back memories of his character “Green Goblin” in the movie Spider-Man in 2002. The actor’s refrain of “Am I a bad person?” struck Kevin Durant. He is demanding an answer from Nike.
When Durant signed a lifetime deal with Nike in 2023, the brand’s vice president of global marketing couldn’t praise KD enough. John Slusher said that the Phoenix Suns forward is “an important part of the Nike family.” It seems like the former NBA MVP isn’t important enough to be part of the brand’s 2024 Olympics ad.
KD's exclusion from the promotional video is glaring. Not only does he have a lifetime contract with Nike, but he is also Team USA’s all-time points leader in the Olympics. Durant’s history and pedigree, three Olympic golds and another one in the FIBA World Cup, should have been enough to give him a spot. Nike seemed to have overlooked him despite his glittering resume in international basketball.
Kevin Durant could play against South Sudan on Saturday
Team USA is 3-0 in tune-up games without Kevin Durant. Steve Kerr announced days before training camp started in Las Vegas that the Phoenix Suns forward is day-to-day due to a strained calf. KD, who practiced with the team on Friday, seems ready to suit up against South Sudan.
After practicing on Friday, Durant talked to reporters about his status:
"I'm going to see how I feel after practice today. Just take it a day at a time. You always have those concerns, but you see progress every day. … I'll see how I feel after I do certain movements, certain exercises, but my thing is just to keep grinding and see what happens."
Kevin Durant isn’t on Nike’s Olympics ad but basketball fans can’t wait to see him play again.