The United States men’s basketball team trounced Brazil earlier this week to earn a spot in the Olympic semifinals. During the third quarter of the win, Kevin Durant scored a basket that gave him 489 career points in Olympic play, which passed Hall of Fame inductee Lisa Leslie for the most in USA basketball’s decorated history in the tournament.
It was presumed that Durant would get here at some point during the Olympics, even with a calf injury that limited him in the lead-up to Paris. Still, he managed to get there, and to celebrate the achievement, Nike dropped a new ad voiced by none other than Colorado football coach Deion Sanders.
Nike celebrates Kevin Durant becoming @USABasketball’s all-time leading scorer.
Narrated by @DeionSanders: pic.twitter.com/FNpUdzeL9J
— Nick DePaula (@NickDePaula) August 6, 2024
It’s an extremely good commercial, one that includes a nod to Durant accepting the Slim Reaper nickname that he turned down years ago. This isn’t the only way Nike is praising Durant, as this new billboard went up in New York City.
Kevin Durant for Nike (2024) pic.twitter.com/0QwnHUXCQe
— Outlander Magazine (@StreetFashion01) August 7, 2024
Next up for Durant and the United States is a showdown with Nikola Jokic and Serbia in the semifinals on Thursday. The two teams faced off in their Olympic opener, with the U.S. coming out on top, 110-84, thanks to a scorching hot game from Durant. The Phoenix Suns star went for 23 points on 8-for-9 shooting from the field and 5-for-5 shooting from three.