ABOUT HIS DECISION TO WITHDRAW FROM TEAM USA
WRITTEN BY: STEVEN LEBRON
Durant was also candid about his decision this summer to withdraw from Team USA and participating at the FIBA World Cup, basically giving the middle finger to the haters:
“It was a very hard choice, because I wanted to play,” he said. “If it was just games (with Team USA), like straight games, it would have been perfect. But the travel and the practice and the shoot-a-rounds, it was something where I (said), ‘All right, I’ve got to really scale back a little bit and get ready for our season.’
“I love Coach K (Mike Krzyzewski) and (program director) Mr. (Jerry) Colangelo, because they understood everything. I didn’t want it to overshadow what they were doing, so that’s why I kind of felt bad about it. But at the same time, I knew I had to do it for myself, and this was one of the first decisions basketball-wise that was like, ‘All right, this is just for me. I’m worried about me right now. I was a little selfish, and sometimes that makes people, it made a lot of people, uncomfortable.”
And to those who don’t agree or understand?
“Seriously, to be honest, I was like ‘(expletive) ‘em.’ You can write that, too. Seriously, though. I’m just going to be me, man, and that’s how I felt.
So, there you go. That’s a good way to put an end to anymore questions about that topic.
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