USA men’s basketball team head coach Steve Kerr has downplayed Kevin Durant’s calf injury that has kept the triple Olympic gold medallist from training with the group ahead of the Paris Games.
Team USA touched down in Abu Dhabi on Friday ahead of two scheduled exhibition games against Australia (July 15) and Serbia (July 17) as they ramp up their preparations for the Olympics.
Durant, who suffered a calf strain two weeks ago, was present at Saturday’s session at the New York University Abu Dhabi campus but once again did not join his teammates in practice.
Kerr remains unconcerned, though, and says they have not discussed any contingency plans to replace the Phoenix Suns forward on the roster.
“He won’t practise with the team today, he’ll continue to do individual work,” Kerr told reporters in the UAE capital on Saturday.
“I know there’s still a couple of weeks before we have to make a decision roster-wise, so we’re just taking it day by day.
“It’s not something we’ve even discussed at this point,” Kerr said when asked about a back-up plan. “Because we feel good that he’s going to be okay, it’s just day to day.”
– ‘True leader’ –
USA Basketball have put together a ‘super-team’ for these Olympic Games that includes LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Durant, Anthony Davis, Anthony Edwards, and recently-crowned NBA champions Jayson Tatum and Jrue Holiday of the Boston Celtics.
But they have already had to make a replacement in the squad, bringing in a third Celtic, Derrick White, to take the spot of Kawhi Leonard, who left training camp last Wednesday in Las Vegas.
The Americans are playing five friendly games in the build-up to Paris, the first of which saw them defeat Canada 86-72 on Wednesday night at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Joel Embiid, the 2023 NBA MVP, fouled out midway through the third quarter but Kerr is certain the Philadelphia 76ers centre will be up for the task of guarding all the bigs they come up against at the Olympics.
“Joel will be fine. He’s going to get into the rhythm and the flow,” he assured. “It always takes big guys a little bit longer to get into flow in training.”
James is playing under Kerr for the first time in his career and described the Golden State Warriors coach as a “true leader and true student of the game”.
Chasing a third Olympic gold medal and fourth overall, James, 39, is the oldest player on the roster.
Donning a USA jersey for the first time in 12 years, James is keen to share his experience with the younger players on the team, especially knowing that this will be his final Games.
“It’s always a responsibility that you should hold with honour and being able to give back to the younger generation because they have to keep going when we’re done,” said James.
“So it’s definitely a responsibility for myself, KD, and Steph to be able to just show them the ropes.”
Boasting their most star-studded squad since the fabled 1992 ‘Dream Team’, USA are gunning for a fifth consecutive Olympic gold medal and 17th men’s title at the Games overall.
After completing their exhibition games schedule in Abu Dhabi and London, the Americans will kick off their Olympics title defence against their Group C rivals Serbia in Lille on July 28 before facing South Sudan on July 31 and Puerto Rico on August 3.
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