Kevin Durant is throwing comebacks on social media at 5 a.m., hours after a chase-down win over Serbia

Kevin Durant is piling up the accolades for Team USA. He is the Americans’ all-time leading scorer in basketball, has three gold medals and was part of an All-Star lineup that powered Team USA to a dramatic victory over Serbia on Thursday to advance to the gold medal game.

Oh, and he still finds time to tweet, even when it’s 5am.

Durant, Steph Curry, LeBron James and Joel Embiid stormed back in the fourth quarter to beat Team USA 95-91 over Serbia and three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokić at Bercy Arena on Thursday. It was one of Durant’s worst games for the U.S., as he failed to score in the first half and didn’t get his first bucket until late in the third. Seven of his nine points came in the fourth quarter, but Durant’s defense was a key part of the relentless comeback.

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While the rally was impressive, Durant wasn’t done with the game afterward. Durant, who is fond of online clapping and has a history of using burner accounts, jumped into the conversation on X at 5 a.m. Paris time.

One user, named Swipa, gave Serbia a shout-out for its efforts against the US

“Serbia just brought the most talented team in the history of the planet to the finish with a medal on the line,” Swipa said wrote. “Team USA was a 16-point favorite. The whole country should be proud.”

Durant wasted no time in asking Swipa, “Where are you from??”

Where do you come from?

— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) August 9, 2024

Durant’s comment angered fans of Jokic and the Denver Nuggets, who criticized the Team USA star.

KD didn’t feel like it again.

“To all the Nuggets fans, nobody cares who y’all consider the best player in the league,” Durant said in response to a tweet from a Nuggets fan. “Players have the utmost respect for Jok, we don’t worship him like y’all do, but most are in awe of his brilliance. Trolling y’all idiots because y’all are against us is part of the game. Deal wit it. (sic)”

Another person tweeted: “Learned a lot about American sports culture today. Lots of showing off for narrowly beating a country of 6.6 million at a sport they invented. Acting like Jokic fans are treasonous.”

KD didn’t hold back in his response: “Let’s talk about the fan culture that has emerged recently. A lot of huge egos that believe they are the reason a sport moves forward. A LOT of idol worship, a lot of hate and division based on wins and losses, a lot of disrespect for the work these incredible athletes do, especially by people who don’t know what it takes to be good at anything other than talking… go do something and get out of the way.. (sic).”

Let’s talk about the fan culture that has emerged recently. A lot of huge egos believing they are the reason a sport progresses. A LOT of idol worship, a lot of hate and division based on wins and losses, a lot of disrespect for the work put in by these… https://t.co/UFRak9kSEG

— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) August 9, 2024

Durant was not available to speak to reporters on Friday ahead of Saturday’s gold medal game against France at 3:30 p.m. ET.

The 35-year-old, whose engagement with fans on social media has been well-documented in the past, said earlier during these competitions that he is motivated to keep posting by another all-time top athlete: gymnast Simone Biles.

“When people see so much potential in you at a young age, you get so trashed, and she’s experienced that at the highest level,” Durant said. “To be able to come out every day and show her brilliance, and also let people know they sound crazy when they talk to her? It’s inspiring to be able to do both.

“So yeah, she’s inspired me to keep tweeting and to keep doing what I do on the field,” he said with a laugh.

To follow The Athleticslive blog from before reporting on day 14 of the Olympic Games in Paris.

Required reading

(Photo: Sarah Stier/Getty Images)