“No, I didn’t hear it”, he responded after being told he was booed during pregame intros. Despite wearing the colors of the team every American basketball fan roots for, Durant and Green were both greeted by a chorus of boos by fans at the Staples Center. 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.
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The Team USA basketball squad, which is composed primarily of NBA players and staff, led as much as 54 points, thanks to a strong game by Kevin Durant, who led all scorers with 19 points on 5-of-7 shooting.
There are three remaining exhibitions – July 26, against China in Oakland; July 29, against Venezuela in Chicago; and August 1, against Nigeria in Houston. “I’m really proud of some of my former players and the way they’ve stepped forward and spoken their conscience and expressed their feelings”.
It’s interesting to think that they had no idea they were all on the floor together, guess it’s just still sinking in. Only three weeks ago, Durant left the Oklahoma City Thunder for the Golden State Warriors via free agency.
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.
Team USA has been practicing at UNLV’s Mendenhall Center, according to The Christian Post, and hopefully they’ve worked out all the kinks.
“They all impressed me because I like when people play hard and they play together”, he said. He is just beginning to grasp the enormity of his move in the eyes of fans and opponents.
DeMar DeRozan added 13, DeAndre Jordan and DeMarcus Cousins 12 each and Kyrie Irving 10 for the U.S.in front of a capacity crowd announced at 19,060 that paid list prices of $40 to $1,600 for their tickets. “I didn’t really notice, I was just lost in the game”, Durant said. While this accord hasn’t fared well in many National Basketball Association circles, Durant’s on-court potency indicates he’s all business once the ball’s in play.
Four-time Olympian Carmelo Anthony was the only holdover in the Americans’ starting line-up from Las Vegas while Krzyzewski works on chemistry and coordination. Even though it’s only an exhibition series happening right now, the USA has showed why they are more powerful than everyone else.
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Their team was packed with absolute rockstars, a single look at the roster and you would see household names including Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Scottie Pippen, Charles Barkley, Karl Malone, Clyde Drexler and Patrick Ewing.
