USA Basketball

[WiggyRuss]

LMAO. Kyrie is NOT better than Wall atleast as the better overall player... I just don't see the hype in that guy AT ALL

as much as i respect your opinion and your obvious substantial accomplishments as an evaluator of NBA talent...i will err on the side of Colangelo and Coach K.....

I know thats hard to believe that i would value those 2 guys opinions over yours....but sometimes you just gotta go with what you think is right

 

[bksballer89]

Just because a player doesn't make team USA doesn't mean their not better.

You have to remember on this team they're trying to put the best group of players so if Korver makes it (as he should), are you going to tell me he's better than Beal & Wall?

This isn't an all star game where you pick the 12 best players. You build this as you would an NBA team so in addition to your stars you need your role players as well which is why Plumlee & Korver may make the team

 

[GeauxBaby]

Durant is out

@ESPNSteinLine
Hearing Kevin Durant is poised to announce his withdrawal from Team USA's World Cup trip to Spain. NOT Paul George related, I'm told

@ESPNSteinLine
Durant, I'm told, will cite mental and physical exhaustion when the decision to leave Team USA for this summer is made official

 

[GeauxBaby]

AD is now the best player on the USA team.

 

[(Un)]

Durant is out

@ESPNSteinLine
Hearing Kevin Durant is poised to announce his withdrawal from Team USA's World Cup trip to Spain. NOT Paul George related, I'm told

@ESPNSteinLine
Durant, I'm told, will cite mental and physical exhaustion when the decision to leave Team USA for this summer is made official

Sounds like a lie to me. Exhaustion from what? 25 years old and played on two National teams before. And the Thunder went deeper in the postseason back in 2012 than they did this year.

I'm sure they all started 2nd-guessing their decision when Paul George went down.

I hate the complete lack of national pride shown by our American players but I can at least understand that they need to protect their careers. I'd rather the players just blatantly admit that's why they're not playing rather than making up a lame excuse.

 

[bksballer89]

yeah he's scared to play after seeing George go down

 

[(Un)]

yeah he's scared to play after seeing George go down

They should push the NBA Draft back until after the tournament. And just put a team full of our best college kids out there.

A bunch of guys with plenty to prove and nothing to lose. Should be able to weed out a few draft busts that way.

 

[bksballer89]

They should push the NBA Draft back until after the tournament. And just put a team full of our best college kids out there.

A bunch of guys with plenty to prove and nothing to lose. Should be able to weed out a few draft busts that way.

college kids has more to lose than nba players actually

 

[(Un)]

college kids has more to lose than nba players actually

Yay and nay. I mean... they could get hurt any day during their college career as well.

With so much fear of injuries it's amazing anyone still practices these days.

 

[lakersrule]

I don't think KD is scared to play. These guys play all summer long anyway. Paul George was playing in the Drew League earlier this summer. He could just have easily been injured there. I think it's more likely a NBA player gets injured in a Drew League type setting than an internationally sanctioned type setting like this FIBA tourney.

 

[podsox]

hate when guys give blatant lies. exhaustion my ass

 

[Hornsstampede2.0]

Dude was apparently sticking around after each practice playing an extra 45 minutes of pickup ball and one-on-one challenges. Everyone was marveling at his never ending supply of energy.


He was the first to the court and last to leave.....


But, suddenly he is too exhausted to play out of the clear blue sky?????


Complete BS.


Just tell the truth. There is need to make some half ass lie that looks worse than the truth.

 

[wildturkey]

Kevin Durant better have a legit reason to pull out this late. I'm talking a family issue or a real injury, not bumps or bruises or "fatigue". Because to pull out this late with "fatigue" is a total bitch move. We're literally days away from the final cut and a week or so away from the team bordering a plane and leaving the country to play warm up games before the actual tournament. To leave at this point, especially considering his role on the team, is completely inconsiderate and unprofessional. It's one thing to decline to play in June or even to do what Love did and pull out just before camp starts. You're giving USA Basketball enough time plan its strategies. But now? Ridiculous. The only way to be more unprofessional is if he backed away from the plane as it was boarding and said "peace out". He absolutely handled this wrong. Not cool bro. Not cool at all.

On top of that, he just said over the weekend he was still committed to USA basketball after the George injury. What the heck changed? If you're that distraught over the injury, grow up. It sounds harsh but that's reality. You can get hurt at any time.

Part of me wonders if something else isn't in play; Under Armor. KD is reportedly getting a huge UA deal. Who sponsors USA Basketball? Nike. Since KD is the biggest star and thus would be on all the promotional stuff in Nike gear, UA pulled him as part of their deal. If that's the case, that such a classless thing to do. I REALLY hope that isn't the case with him. But regardless of his reasoning, again barring a serious injury or family matter, this is a pretty shitty thing to do. Thank God Lebron didn't do this. I'd have to bury myself in a doomsday bunker for 2 weeks to avoid the shitstorm

 

[Mecca of the “B” Team]

Kevin Durant better have a legit reason to pull out this late. I'm talking a family issue or a real injury, not bumps or bruises or "fatigue". Because to pull out this late with "fatigue" is a total bitch move. We're literally days away from the final cut and a week or so away from the team bordering a plane and leaving the country to play warm up games before the actual tournament. To leave at this point, especially considering his role on the team, is completely inconsiderate and unprofessional. It's one thing to decline to play in June or even to do what Love did and pull out just before camp starts. You're giving USA Basketball enough time plan its strategies. But now? Ridiculous. The only way to be more unprofessional is if he backed away from the plane as it was boarding and said "peace out". He absolutely handled this wrong. Not cool bro. Not cool at all.

On top of that, he just said over the weekend he was still committed to USA basketball after the George injury. What the heck changed? If you're that distraught over the injury, grow up. It sounds harsh but that's reality. You can get hurt at any time.

Part of me wonders if something else isn't in play; Under Armor. KD is reportedly getting a huge UA deal. Who sponsors USA Basketball? Nike. Since KD is the biggest star and thus would be on all the promotional stuff in Nike gear, UA pulled him as part of their deal. If that's the case, that such a classless thing to do. I REALLY hope that isn't the case with him. But regardless of his reasoning, again barring a serious injury or family matter, this is a pretty shitty thing to do. Thank God Lebron didn't do this. I'd have to bury myself in a doomsday bunker for 2 weeks to avoid the shitstorm

Ramona Shelburne: One source close to the situation says of Durant, "He's not hurt."

 

[Jims_Doors]

I don't think KD is scared to play. These guys play all summer long anyway. Paul George was playing in the Drew League earlier this summer. He could just have easily been injured there. I think it's more likely a NBA player gets injured in a Drew League type setting than an internationally sanctioned type setting like this FIBA tourney.

Possible 300mil dollar deal with Under Armour made KD change his mind?

Report: Kevin Durant could earn $30 million annually in endorsement deal | ProBasketballTalk

 

[thunderc]

Pretty confident KD will come out of this just fine, character wise he has more going for him than anyone else in the league. He has earned a whole bunch of benefit of the doubt.

 

[Hornsstampede2.0]

Well, at least we know his sense of "loyalty" to a team.


If he can blow off the USA team, leaving OKC for the Wizards is childs play.


He is bolting on the first plane to Washington DC at the end of this season to build another Big 3.

 

[thunderc]

The Thunder are a big part of the reason he did this, in fact the main reason.

 

[(Un)]

The Thunder are a big part of the reason he did this, in fact the main reason.

I'd say his bank account is the main reason.

 

[bksballer89]

The Thunder are a big part of the reason he did this, in fact the main reason.

He would have just turned down the offer to ever play. Stop with the bullshit.