Jerry Colangelo: 'Kevin Durant has been a real warrior' / News - Basketnews.com

Credit: AFP – Scanpix Credit AFP – Scanpix

Head of USA Basketball Jerry Colangelo had high praises for Kevin Durantafter the announcement that the Nets forward had committed to playing at the Tokyo Olympics.

Kevin Durant

Team:Brooklyn NetsPosition:SFAge:32Height:211 cmWeight:107 kgBirth place:Washington, United States of AmericaProfileNewsStatistics

The two-time Olympic champion and MVP of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2010 has just completed a tough season with the Brooklyn Nets, but he's eager to compete for another medal in Japan."He's always had this great enthusiasm for playing USA basketball, for playing the game of basketball," said Colangelo, the long-time managing director of the national team."He's been a real warrior. I love the guy as a player. I love the guy as a person. And the fact that he stepped up to commit himself didn't surprise me. I was very, very pleased because he's a very, very important part of our potential success."

When asked how playing for the Olympic team would help Durant's career in a conference call with the media, Colangelo answered bluntly: "I'm not sure anything's going to help him in his career next season, that will come out of this experience.What it is, is a love for the game, and fulfilling a continuing dream of being on that court and playing for all the marbles and trying to get a gold medal. That's the competitiveness in him. So if you can raise his level of competitiveness anymore than what it is today, that's unbelievable. That's over the top. So I think it's more of him fulfilling his desire to play the game he loves as much as he does."

"I’m happy for the selected players and looking forward to having the opportunity to work with this wonderful group when practice gets underway on July 6 in Las Vegas," said national team coach Gregg Popovich. "I’m excited to represent the United States in our quest to earn a gold medal in Tokyo."The first game for the USA will be on July 25 in the Saitama Arena against France, the national team that beat the Americans in the Quarter-Finals at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 in China. Middleton and Tatum are the only players on the roster that played for the USA at the World Cup.

USA Team for the Tokyo Olympics includes: Bam Adebayo, Bradley Beal, Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, Jerami Grant, Draymond Green, Jrue Holiday, Zach Lavine, Damian Lillard, Kevin Love, Khris Middleton, Jayson Tatum

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