Kevin Durant will make Oracle debut in Olympic warmup Tuesday
By GREG BEACHAM | Jul 25, 2016

LOS ANGELES — Even in a jersey with “USA” on the chest, Kevin Durant got some boos at Staples Center on Sunday night.

He’ll probably need to get used to that sound in this building for the rest of his basketball career.

When he suits up in Oakland Tuesday for the first time since joining the Golden State Warriors, he’ll get another reception entirely.

But no hate or love from the stands is going to deter Durant from trying to win a gold medal or an NBA title.

“The crowd here tonight was great, so hopefully it’s just as good at Oracle,” Durant said after scoring 19 points at a packed Staples Center during the Americans’ 106-57 victory against China in the second stop of a five-game pre-Olympics showcase.

When told he had been booed in pregame introductions, Durant seemed surprised: “No, I didn’t hear it. I did? Huh. I didn’t hear it.”

The Los Angeles fans were gathered to cheer for the Americans during an exhibition blowout, but some of them couldn’t resist jabbing at the newest member of the Warriors and his two-team teammate, Draymond Green. The Clippers fans in the crowd supported the red, white and blue — but those colors represent something else to them for most of the year, and they let their new nemesis know it.

Golden State general manager Bob Myers was in attendance to see his newest signing’s performance alongside Green and Klay Thompson, who scored 17 points in another impressive exhibition victory for the gold medal favorites.

Myers was surprised by the boos, but only to a point.

“I think it’s Clipper fans, because they cheered DeAndre (Jordan),” Myers said. “That’s just my guess.”

The Clippers have a fierce rivalry with the Warriors, but it seems increasingly likely Durant will be a magnet for boos throughout the league after spurning Oklahoma City to chase a championship with Stephen Curry in Oakland.

He’ll return to his new home in the East Bay for what’s likely to be a less hostile reception before the Americans’ next exhibition, also against China.

“He won’t get booed on Tuesday,” Myers said dryly.

Durant isn’t taking anything for granted. He is just beginning to grasp the enormity of his move in the eyes of fans and opponents.

The gifted scorer and former MVP has been widely popular around the game for most of his career, but his decision this month has made him a target of jealousy, frustration and even derision — and not even a Team USA jersey can deflect it.

“I’m excited to go to Oakland as a member of the Warriors,” Durant said. “We’ll see. I don’t know what to expect.”

Durant could need months to feel normal in a Warriors uniform, but he’s getting a valuable head start during this six-week attempt to win his second gold medal in Rio de Janeiro.

While Curry decided to skip the Olympics, Green and Thompson will be with Durant for the duration, building chemistry and togetherness.

In this July 12, 2016, file photo, Kevin Durant participates in a fans meeting event in Hong Kong. Even in a jersey with “USA” on the chest, Durant got some boos from the Clippers and Lakers fans at Staples Center for an exhibition blowout of China. Durant claimed he didn’t hear it, and the Americans’ top scorer knows he’ll get nothing but love Tuesday, July 26, when he plays at Oracle Arena for the first time since joining the Golden State Warriors. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)