Kevin Durant Says Playing for Team USA Was "Therapy for Me"

For Kevin Durant, playing for the U.S. men's basketball team at the Olympics in Rio was more than just representing his country and trying to win his second gold medal. It was also "therapy."

In an interview with Michael Lee of The Vertical, Durant admitted that competing in the Games these past two weeks had a more important meaning after the start of the offseason where he needed to decide where he wanted to grow as a player in the NBA. "It was therapy for me after making a big change in my life," Durant told The Vertical following Team USA's 96-66 win in the gold medal game. "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."

Even with a roster that included two of his future Golden State Warriors teammates in Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, a potential NBA Finals competitor next season in Kyrie Irving, and the player he replaced in Harrison Barnes, these players found a way to coexist with Durant. Why? Because getting that gold medal trumped any rivalry they had brewing stateside. However, now with the 2016-17 campaign just around the corner, it's time to get back down to business. The friendships that were made over the summer will turn into fierce enemies. Hope you enjoyed those two weeks, KD.

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