Durant, Bird, US Olympians bravely ignore hostility winning gold

They’ve been ridiculed, insulted, told they don’t love America and depicted as villains in their own land. And yet, they embraced a volunteer mission on behalf of the country that birthed and cultivated them.

Many Olympians don’t feel fully appreciated, but they didn’t let that stop them. They went to Tokyo. They triumphed.

National pride was on full display, as America again led the world in Olympic medals. Its athletes ignored the furious fringe back home and went about their business, shining as runway models representing the red, white and blue – even in the face of scorn. 

Kevin Durant and Sue Bird got cozy with the flag, knowing some who claim to love the stars and stripes were rooting against them.

Their “crime” was being part of the “woke mob.” There actually are far-right pockets of America where that outdated term is being kept alive, used as an expression of contempt.

"If our (women’s) soccer team, headed by a radical group of Leftist Maniacs, wasn't ‘woke,’ they would have won the Gold Medal instead of the Bronze," former president Donald Trump said in a statement through his political action committee. “Woke means you lose, everything that is woke goes bad, and our soccer team certainly has."

“They should,” he added, “replace the ‘wokesters’ and start winning again.”

Ahem. Americans won 113 medals. Their 39 golds were the most of any country – and nearly double that won by Russia. Even as they failed to meet some expectations, they were a clear No. 1. Which meant a lot.

“Much love to everybody that showed support and love to us,” Durant said on Instagram Live after leading Team USA to a win over France in the gold-medal game. “Much love to everybody who text, called, I probably ain’t hit you back but, you know, it is what it is. I love y’all. Damn, this my third one. This feels amazing.”

KD won for himself, for his teammates, for his country. Yet he and every Olympian with a social conscience is aware of America’s warts. They know there are two Americas. They won’t forget how Colin Kaepernick was victimized for addressing life-and-death issues.

Yet they represented. Not to spite the haters but out of love for a country with racial and ethnic divisions as deep as they were five, 50 or 500 years ago.

The anti-progress crew disguising themselves as “patriots” do not conduct themselves in our national best interest. And they can’t want our athletes to stick to sports. It’s irresponsible for them to do so under current conditions, and it’s impossible for them to do it when the so-called “real Americans” keep throwing firecrackers into the locker room.

The hatred lives on. It festers on social media, on right-wing talk radio, in corporations big and small. It’s why this land has so many vile individuals baring keyboard fangs at athletes doing unpaid work on behalf of America.

There’s “patriot” Charlie Kirk, calling Simone Biles a “selfish sociopath” and a “shame to the country” because she bowed out of portions of the gymnastics competition, citing mental health issues. There’s “patriot” Newmax host Grant Stinchfield, referring to the women’s soccer team as “Megan Rapinoe and her merry band of America-hating female soccer players.”

They knew of this, and they pressed on. There is too much at stake not to persevere.

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Black shot putter Raven Saunders earned a silver medal, placed the flag across her back and spread her arms wide. She used those same arms to create an “X” protest on the podium. Not because she hates America, but because she yearns to seek equality.

“It’s the intersection of where all people who are oppressed meet,” Saunders said of the overhead “X.”

First-generation American Athing Mu, a child of African immigrants, won a gold medal in the 800 meters and draped the flag over her shoulders.

Bird was a flag bearer for the opening ceremony. She won gold with the Team USA women’s basketball team and then kissed her fiancée, Rapinoe, whose pleas for equality have made her a frequent target of the far right.

There was Warriors coach Steve Kerr, another sports figure often subjected to right-wing vitriol, serving his country as assistant coach for Team USA men. Donating his time for free.

Durant, who as a child lived the struggle and now takes action against inequality, chased and captured a gold medal while wearing a USA jersey, after which he immediately, and carefully, wrapped himself in the stars and stripes.

Which brought to mind something he said 14 months ago, during the global demonstrations following the murder of George Floyd, under the knee of a Minneapolis police officer.

“We have a lot of stuff on our back, but we keep fighting through,” Durant told ESPN’s The Undefeated. “It’s beautiful to see everybody coming together as one right now for what we all believe in, which is equality. The Black community always sticks together through tragedy. But to see everybody support us in their own way is cool.”

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False patriots choose to ignore this message of love and unity because it can’t be used to stoke the simmering hatred in their hearts.

Love was, and is, at the heart of Kaepernick’s crusade, for which many branded him anti-American. Never mind the words the former 49ers quarterback uttered five years ago – after his peaceful protest but before the NFL slammed its door in his face. 

“I’m not anti-America,” he said. “I love America. I love people. That’s why I’m doing this. I want to help make America better.”

These Olympians have the same goal. It’s is why they press on, why they keep pushing for a better America, even as so many push back.