Just last week, the U.S. men’s national team had to make a tough call by letting go of Kawhi Leonard due to his ongoing knee injury.
Kevin Durant’s Injury Woes:
Now, in Abu Dhabi, they face a similar issue with Kevin Durant. He missed practice on Saturday because of a calf strain and is unlikely to play against Australia on Monday. Despite this, coach Steve Kerr isn’t too worried and believes KD will be ready for the Olympics.
“I know there’s still a couple of weeks before we have to make a decision roster-wise,” said Kerr before their two warm-up games this week. “So we’re just taking it day by day.”
Steve Kerr confirms to @FadeawayWorld that Kevin Durant will not be participating in Team USA's game against Australia tomorrow
"He won't play tomorrow. I've not talked to the trainer but if he does anything, it would be light. But yeah, he won't play."
— Ishaan Bhattacharya (@IshaanBhatta)
For now, there’s no backup plan if Durant’s health doesn’t improve before Paris. “It’s not something we’ve even discussed at this point because we feel good that [Durant] is going to be OK,” Kerr mentioned over the weekend.
Durant didn’t comment on his injury but did talk about playing with Curry and LeBron James. When asked if this was their “last hurrah,” he smiled and told ESPN, “Nah.”
“These guys are still playing at an elite level. I feel like Bron could play 4 or 5 more years and be here in 2028 in Los Angeles. Steph’s still playing great ball. I’m doing all right too,” he added. “I don’t want this to be a farewell tour or make it just about us three. It’s about trying to win this fifth in a row.”
Stephen Curry’s Excitement:
Curry is thrilled about his Olympic debut: “Yeah, it’s really cool,” he said. “I’ve played with Team USA before on the world championship stage, but I don’t know what to expect when it comes to this challenge and experience.”
We think it’s awesome that Curry is so excited!
“And so I had first-practice jitters,” he continued. “I’m sure I’ll have them for the game [Wednesday] just because I know it means so much.”
Derrick White Joins Team USA:
Derrick White was visiting family in Denver when he got the call from Team USA asking him to replace Kawhi Leonard for the upcoming Olympics in Paris.
White had planned a vacation in Cabo but quickly changed plans and flew out to Abu Dhabi instead.
Four days before arriving on Sunday, he learned that Leonard needed replacing due to his knee injury.
White knew he was one of the top candidates for the roster spot but didn’t get an official call until recently since Kawhi initially reported healthy during training camp in Las Vegas.
“I kind of figured it out when everybody else did through [ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski],” White shared. “But then when all that happened and I got the call, I was ready.”
