Team USA will be without the MVP this summer
The 2014 FIBA World Cup kicks off on August 30th, and in a stunning but understandable move, Kevin Durant has removed himself from consideration for the final roster, and will not be competing in any capacity with Team USA this year. Â The Oklahoma City Thunder superstar, who just took home his first NBA MVP award, cited mental and physical exhaustion as the main reason behind his pulling out. Â Team USA’s Managing Director, Jerry Colangelo, had this to say about today’s events.
Kevin reached out to Coach K and myself this afternoon and expressed that he is just physically and mentally drained from the NBA season and his attention to his many responsibilities. He tried to give it a go at our recent Las Vegas training camp but felt coming out of camp that he was not prepared to fulfill the commitment he made to the team.
Colangelo went on to reiterate that he and Coach K are in full support of Durant as he prepares himself mentally, physically, and emotionally for the upcoming 2014-2015 NBA season, one that Durant hopes culminates in the raising of the Larry O’Brien trophy by he and his teammates. Â Durant himself had this to say about his decision–one that could prove to be a blow to Team USA’s hopes at winning the cup.
This was an extremely difficult decision as I take great pride in representing our country. I know that I owe it to my USA Basketball teammates to be totally invested in the experience. After going through training camp with USAB, I realized I could not fulfill my responsibilities to the team from both a time and energy standpoint. I need to take a step back and take some time away, both mentally and physically in order to prepare for the upcoming NBA season. I will be rooting for USAB and look forward to future opportunities with them.
