USA Basketball

[thunderc]

KD signed up for this thing a year ago and was the only player to try to play in the last 3 international competitions I believe. He just carried the Thunder for half a season with Westbrook out. He tried to honor his commitment but after others bailed and then the George injury he did the right thing. Sure as hell the right thing for the Thunder and I'm glad about that.

 

[wildturkey]

KD signed up for this thing a year ago and was the only player to try to play in the last 3 international competitions I believe. He just carried the Thunder for half a season with Westbrook out. He tried to honor his commitment but after others bailed and then the George injury he did the right thing. Sure as hell the right thing for the Thunder and I'm glad about that.

100% fan talk.

You don't make a commitment and bail at the last second. That goes for everyday folk just as much as basketball players. Westbrook made the same commitment but declined to participate this year a couple of months back which is totally fine. Durant didn't and handled it in a very unprofessional manner. He hung out everyone involved at USA Basketball.

 

[Pariah]

100% fan talk.

You don't make a commitment and bail at the last second. That goes for everyday folk just as much as basketball players. Westbrook made the same commitment but declined to participate this year a couple of months back which is totally fine. Durant didn't and handled it in a very unprofessional manner. He hung out everyone involved at USA Basketball.

KD has put in as much time as anyone.

 

[thunderc]

KD has put in more time than anyone, he gets the benefit of the doubt. I have yet to see one person nationally even remotely questioning what he did.

 

[Heatles84]

KD signed up for this thing a year ago and was the only player to try to play in the last 3 international competitions I believe. He just carried the Thunder for half a season with Westbrook out. He tried to honor his commitment but after others bailed and then the George injury he did the right thing. Sure as hell the right thing for the Thunder and I'm glad about that.

KD has put in as much time as anyone.

KD has put in more time than anyone, he gets the benefit of the doubt. I have yet to see one person nationally even remotely questioning what he did.

Seeing as how Heat fans react to Lebron differently as opposed to 6 months ago. It will be interesting to see how Thunder fans talk up KD should he bolt in 2016.

 

[wildturkey]

KD has put in as much time as anyone.

KD has put in more time than anyone, he gets the benefit of the doubt. I have yet to see one person nationally even remotely questioning what he did.

Time served has nothing to do with it. It's a bitch move to pull out this late

 

[thunderc]

Time served has nothing to do with it. It's a bitch move to pull out this late

In your opinion, basketball people seem to disagree. All I care about is that it is great for the Thunder, he is realizing he is not immortal and needs to conserve energy. For the guy that said it will be interesting to see what happens if he bolts, first of all that has not happened yet, and second of all I assure you we are talking apples and oranges when we are talking about Heat fans and Thunder fans. Just different people. There will be the wackos but KD will always be loved in OKC. If he does go it's safe to say it will be handled well.

 

[(Un)]

Time served has nothing to do with it. It's a bitch move to pull out this late

This.

I honestly don't understand how Durant putting in all that time is a positive.

He held onto one of the 20 training camp roster spots, lets the team game plan around him as the top scoring threat, and then bails with less than a month to go until the tournament.

That's a bitch move.

He could have let someone else have that roster spot, allowed the coaches to game plan accordingly from Day 1.

And whether he did it for the endorsement deal or because of the Paul George injury or simply because he's tired bullshit, the bottom line is he waited until August to pull out. That's terrible timing.

Just because he hasn't pulled a bitch move before doesn't make it any less of a bitch move. It's a bitch move. 100% bitch.

 

[thunderc]

Haters gonna hate, you are on a very small island on this though.

 

[(Un)]

Haters gonna hate, you are on a very small island on this though.

Funny thing is... I was rooting for KD and OKC the last two postseasons.

So no, I don't hate KD. Nor do I claim allegiance to any individual NBA team. I just call it like I see it.

 

[Cobiemonster]

I'm with KD on this one - I know people have pride for their country but KD knows his body better than anyone else and he wants to be able to win a championship for the Thunder - people complain that he doesn't do enough to win a title in the NBA yet when he tries to help himself in order to win a title(by skipping the rest of the Team USA summer games) people complain too - can't have it both ways

I'm not a fan of professional players participating in the Olympics/non-league sports anyways, maybe I'm in the minority but that's how I feel

 

[Heatles84]

In your opinion, basketball people seem to disagree. All I care about is that it is great for the Thunder, he is realizing he is not immortal and needs to conserve energy. For the guy that said it will be interesting to see what happens if he bolts, first of all that has not happened yet, and second of all I assure you we are talking apples and oranges when we are talking about Heat fans and Thunder fans. Just different people. There will be the wackos but KD will always be loved in OKC. If he does go it's safe to say it will be handled well.

Talk is cheap.

 

[Inimical]

KD tried. Some things are more important then basketball. Like sex for instance.

 

[trojanfan12]

KD has put in as much time as anyone.

KD has put in more time than anyone, he gets the benefit of the doubt. I have yet to see one person nationally even remotely questioning what he did.

It's not about how much time he put in, it's not about him pulling out. It's about the timing. I don't think anyone disputes that it's probably a good move with regards to what a rested KD means to OKC this coming season.

However, this is Kevin Durant. He's not some guy who may or may not have been selected for the final team. He is in the Lebron, Kobe, CP3 class of player, where if he wants to play, he's on the team, period.

This means that, as someone else pointed out, Team USA's gameplan was built, in large measure, around KD being on the team. His pulling out now, means that with less than a month until the games start, Team USA has to re-do the gameplan.

Good move as far as OKC is concerned, but a bad move re: Team USA and how it makes him look.

End of the day, as has been pointed out, he has built a solid reputation as a good guy, so my guess is that this won't have too much of an effect on his image, but it does taint it a bit, imo.

 

[wildturkey]

KD tried. Some things are more important then basketball. Like sex for instance.

Then by all means he is making a huge mistake. Spain has some very spicy senoritas.

 

[Pariah]

Durant getting shit while LeBron and Carmelo sit on their asses.

Makes sense.

 

[Heatles84]

Durant getting shit while LeBron and Carmelo sit on their asses.

Makes sense.

Lebron and Melo never made a commitment in the first place. Hence, why no one is giving them shit.

 

[bksballer89]

Durant getting shit while LeBron and Carmelo sit on their asses.

Makes sense.

Comparing Apples & Oranges.

If you can't see the difference between NEVER committing & committing, going through the camp, playing in the scrimmage, and dropping out in August (after they already made their first set of cuts) something is truly wrong with you

 

[Pariah]

Don't care.

If LeBron and Oldy Bryant are too good to play FIBA, so is Durant.

 

[bksballer89]

Don't care.

If LeBron and Oldy Bryant are too good to play FIBA, so is Durant.

That's all fine and dandy. As I said before he should go the Lebron, Melo, and CP3 rout which is to just play in the olympics. Durant went wrong by dropping out so late in the game. Even if he committed and dropped out in early July it wouldn't really bother me