Kevin Durant, Kevin Love announce commitment to play in 2014 World Championships for Team USA
LAS VEGAS – There were two surprise visitors in the gym for the third day of USA Basketball mini-camp on Wednesday, and as it turned out, they were there to make a formal announcement.
“This is a big day and a big announcement for USA Basketball,” program Chairman Jerry Colangelo said. “Because two of our players who have been so instrumental in our success in winning gold medals, Kevin Durant and Kevin Love, have officially announced that they will be part of our future going forward, including the World Cup next summer.”
Durant and Love were both members of the Olympic team that took home the gold medal in 2012, but not all players who participate are guaranteed to do so going forward, especially in the World Championship event that takes place two summers before the next Olympics.
LeBron James, for example, isn’t expected to participate in 2014, and Colangelo told Marc Spears of Yahoo! Sports that he wasn’t even going to ask. So, this early announcement of a commitment was an understandably big deal to both Colangelo and head coach Mike Krzyzewski.
“It means a great deal to us because of how committed they are to our program,” Colangelo said. “We’re very appreciative of their early commitment; we think it’ll certainly send a message to some of our other guys who have indicated they’re interested. So we’re very excited.”
Krzyzewski was especially pleased by the way Durant delivered his commitment, and the respect and dedication he showed to the USA Basketball program in doing so.
“The thing he told us last night, he says ‘Coach, I wanted to come here and look you in the eye and tell you that I’m doing it,” Krzyzewski said. “I get chills just thinking that a guy of his stature and his accomplishment, for these two guys to come here — it shows what they think of the program and the people involved to do it face to face, and we appreciate that very much.”
Durant told them last night officially that he was ready to commit, and this morning was when the decision was made to go public with it.
“We’ve said it before, with all due credit to all of our guys — [Durant] is kind of the face of USA Basketball going forward,” Colangelo said. “He committed a long time ago, and it’s part of who he is.”
“With Durant, this is the first camp that we’ve been involved with where he hasn’t been a participant,” Krzyzewski said. “He started when he was 17. It’s the program that Jerry has started since he took over, and it’s paying a lot of dividends.”
Durant made the decision to continue with his commitment seem like an extremely simple one.
“USA Basketball, man, that’s all you really need to know,” Durant said. “It’s kind of self-explanatory playing for your country. I’m excited to get this opportunity. I’m looking forward to getting to play for Coach K again, and this whole program is such a first class program. I’m glad I’m a part of it.”
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