Durant Puts USA Top of the World
It’s been 16 years and four Worlds since the last American dream came true. Now, it’s just one day Kevin Durant made the same dream come true for a long wait. United States beat host Turkey at FIBA Worlds 81-64 without losing any quarter and winning a new, mature generation led by the same Durant. Despite they say the US squad arrived to the Turkish Worlds with the B-Team, coach Mike Krzyewski proved he’s able to win the World Cup even so. The Americans came with one single though in mind, to win the gold. They finally did it and surely impressed even the most skeptics who didn’t initially credit the ‘second’ team.
The US team led from the very beginning, but also continued to dominate the entire game until the end. It ended 22-17, 20-15, 19-16, 20-16 as Kevin Durant scored 28 points for Krzyzewski’s side. ” “Our only option was to come out here and get a gold, and it feels really good to bring this back home to the States,” Durant declared right after. USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelgo also said the team didn’t have any identification at the start of the Worlds, but they proved and established in the same time who this B-Team is. “We didn’t have an identification. They were called the ‘B Team’. I think that’s over with. I think they established who they are. Kevin Durant, welcome to the international stage in terms of your ability as a player. That was great for him because he’s such a terrific young man. “So a great job by everyone involved. It’s great for our program. We go from here.” Durant was elected the best player of the World Championships. He averaged 22.8 ppg, 6.1rpg, but also shoot 55.6 percent from the field, 45.6 percent from three-point and 91.2 percent from the foul line.
Mike Krzyzewski couldn’t help himself not to call this team as the best the US can get. “This is the best. This is the best,” he pointed. “With this group, they really have represented our country, USA Basketball so well. Such a young group. They played with enthusiasm. They played great defense throughout. Not much was expected. I shouldn’t say that. They’re always expecting a lot. But most people didn’t think we could win. But they kept getting better. We had such big bench contributions. I’m just so happy, so fulfilled. This is as good as it gets right now,” the coach added.
With plenty of big names left home, including LeBron and Bryant, the young team succeeded what the A-Team couldn’t provide four years ago in Japan. “I thought we rallied and we became a little bit of an unconventional team. We thought we could win, we just felt it would be a lot harder, and they worked real hard and they made it happen,” Krzyzewski. For sure, the many ask now who contributed the most on winning the World Championships, Durant or Krzyzewski. For sure, both.
