Ja Morant in splits over Kevin Durant's viral Tupac skit meme after dominant return for 2024 Paris Olympics opener
Memphis Grizzlies' two-time All-Star Ja Morant seemed to get a real kick out of a viral clip circulating on social media related to Kevin Durant's big opening night at the Olympics. Durant's spectacular performance against Serbia had fans on social media talking, but few posts were as clever as the Tupac skit meme.
On Sunday, Morant reposted a video of legendary rapper Tupac with three emojis of the "crying with laughter" face. In the 15 second clip taken from the 1994 hit movie "Above the Rim," Tupac is seen arguing with the officials. He questions why Thomas "Shep" Sheppard (played by actor Leon Robinson) is permitted to come on the court in street clothes midway through the tournament.
Similar to Shep in the movie, Durant has been absent from the basketball court during the buildup to the tournament. The Phoenix Suns forward has not featured in any of the exhibition games prior to the 2024 Paris Olympics due to a calf injury. He has not played in a competitive game since April 29 when the Suns were knocked out of the playoffs by the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Despite his lack of minutes in the run-up to the tournament, Kevin Durant was outstanding in the team's opening game. There was obviously no rust for the former MVP who led his team in scoring and missed just one shot in the entire game. Over just 17 minutes, he racked up 23 points on 8-9 shooting and was a perfect 5-5 from behind the arc.
Led by a strong performance from their forward, USA went on to win their opening game against Serbia 110-84. They will face South Sudan is the second game of the group stage on July 31.
Kevin Durant is looking to win his fourth gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics
Kevin Durant is on the verge of a historic feat. The 35-year-old has the opportunity to become the first USA Men's basketball player to win a record fourth gold medal at the Olympics.
Durant made an immediate impact when he was drafted to the NBA in 2007 and was named to the All-Star Game just a few years later in 2010. He made his first Olympic appearance in London in 2012 and was also a member of the 2016 (Rio de Janeiro) and 2020 (Tokyo) Olympic rosters.
Durant is by far the highest all-time scorer for USA at the Olympics, leading the second-place Carmelo Anthony by 122 points and LeBron James by 164 points.
Overall, he ranks 11th all-time in total points scored at the Olympics with 458 points over 23 games.