The Olympics is fully underway, which means you’ll be reading plenty of news about NBA players involved in the special event for the foreseeable future. In today’s news, you’ll find LeBron James’ take on Kevin Durant’s role on a team full of superstars, Nicolas Batum’s thoughts on Team USA, Kobe Bryant’s trackback on Dream Team comment along with some player movements.
Kevin Durant has tried his best to not be a ball hog on a team full of dominant scorers, but LeBron James wants him to shoot as much as possible, according to Scott Fowler: “Kevin Durant, the scoring champ in question, has not played in an Olympics before. Like any newcomer, he wants to be liked. So time and again during the U.S. team’s brief time together this year, Durant has passed up the sort of open shots that he drills with the Oklahoma City Thunder. “I told KD (Durant) to just be himself,” LeBron James said Sunday after Durant led the U.S. with 22 points and added nine rebounds in a game that was only close for one quarter. “On a team like this you can kind of shy away because there are so many great players here. But KD’s on this team for a reason. He’s one of the best players the world has and he’s a three-time scoring champ. So we don’t want the KD that defers. We want the KD that he is in Oklahoma City.” James seemed determined to make that KD show up on Sunday. He threw the ball to Durant every time he could, passing up one open shot after another to get the ball to Durant. It was a bit ironic, considering that Durant and James went head-to-head in the NBA Finals this season when the Miami Heat defeated the Thunder.”
Despite suffering a blowout loss on Sunday, Nicolas Batum believes Team USA can be beaten by a number of teams, from Marc Berman: “Moments after Team USA’s men’s basketball team fried the French yesterday, 98-71, in its Olympic opener yesterday before 12,000 at Olympic Park’s basketball arena, Nicolas Batum wasn’t convinced. The Frenchman and rising NBA star said the American juggernaut can be beaten — not by only one Olympic club, but several. “You have to play a 40-minute game [to do it],’’ said Batum, who plays for the Trail Blazers. “Rebound, take care of the ball and play good defense. Some team can do it. I think some team can beat them, really. Spain, Argentina, Brazil. A lot of teams can beat them.’’
- Sonny Weems will join CSKA Moscow for three seasons, according to E. Carchia: “Weems decided to move to Europe when the lockout delayed the start of the 2011-12 season and signed 1-year contract with Zalgiris. His averages: in Euroleague – 15 games, 29.9 minutes, 15.5 points (51.4% two-pointers, 36.0% three-pointers, 68.6% free throws), 5.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.9 steals, 0.2 blocked shots; in LKL – 13 games, 23.6 minutes, 9.9 points (50.7% two-pointers, 34.3% three-pointers, 69.4% free throws), 3.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.4 steals, 0.2 blocked shots; in VTB United League – 16 games, 25.5 minutes, 10.3 points (52.6% two-pointers, 34.2% three-pointers, 73.5% free throws), 4.1 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.4 blocked shots.”
Andrei Kirilenko discussed why he felt the desire to return to the NBA, from The Associated Press: “Speaking to American media for the first time since signing his deal, Kirilenko said he felt refreshed after deciding to stay home during the grueling NBA season that was compacted by the lockout. He played last season with CSKA Moscow, and appears to have an extra bounce in his step after slowing down in the last of his 10 seasons in Utah. “Last season in CSKA, I feel comfortable, I feel great at home,” Kirilenko said. “I feel I should play at the highest level possible. If I’m not going back to NBA, I would probably feel sorry for myself over the next four or five years. I got a call and it was a very, very interesting offer.”
Despite trade rumors, Andre Iguodala will stay put in Philadelphia, according to John Finger: “According to a source, a trade involving Iguodala “won’t happen” during the off-season. As a result of that, the Sixers’ off-season tinkering to their roster is complete and aside from a few free agents who get invitations to training camp, the team is set. Moreover, a report on HoopsWorld.com indicates that the Sixers are actually building the team around Iguodala and that if any move is to come regarding the Olympian, it would be in the distant future. As for London, Iguodala made his Olympic debut in the victory over France, scoring one point and missing the only shot from the field that he attempted. However, Iguodala had two assists, a steal and a block in 11 minutes off the bench as the team’s defensive stopper.”
- Kobe Bryant admitted that 1992 Dream Team was a better team than the current USA team, from Mike Bresnahan: “On second thought, maybe the original Dream Team was better. So says Kobe Bryant, who lighted a metaphorical fire around his feet earlier this month by saying this year’s U.S. team would beat the original cast of NBA stars from 1992. This time, though, Bryant indicated that Michael, Magic and Larry were more talented than LeBron, Kevin Durant and himself. “I didn’t say we were a better team,” Bryant said Friday amid a mob of reporters at an introductory Olympic news conference. “But if you think we can’t beat that team one time? Like I’m going to say no, that we’d never beat them.” Bryant agreed with President Obama, who countered Bryant’s comments earlier this month by saying the 1992 squad was superior. “He’s right. They are a better team,” Bryant said. “The question was ‘Can we beat them?’ Yes we can. Of course we can.”
Bryant was also caught without a shirt on in a recent photo during a party, from TMZ: “Kobe Bryant’s wife has some serious questions about his judgment after seeing pics of him partying with women last week — but that didn’t stop her from flying to London to watch him play in the Olympics. Sources close to Vanessa Bryant tell us she is “furious” and “embarrassed” over the photos — one of Kobe chatting up 2 women at an afterparty last week in Barcelona … the other showed him hanging with 2 different women in a nightclub. But we’re told Vanessa’s anger is NOT because she thinks Kobe cheated … instead she’s mad that he put himself in situations where the photos could be taken.”
- The NBA owners are looking for financial gain from the Olympics rather than watching it go to IOC, according to Adrian Wojnarowski: “For NBA teams, the ability to control their talent in a rebranded World Cup of Basketball goes far past benefiting financially in ways that the IOC will never allow. This is the fight now, but everyone knows how it will end: The owners are organized, unified, and determined to make the World Cup of Basketball the financial boon that they always believed a European expansion of NBA franchises could be for them. They’re determined to control the way that medical staff administer to players in whom they’ve invested hundreds of millions of dollars, control the circumstances under which those players are cleared to play with injury, and ultimately, control the fate of guaranteed contracts they’re obligated to pay. As one Western Conference GM told Yahoo! Sports, in responding to Team USA players saying they want final say over whether they play in the Olympics: “If players take this control, should they also take the risk on their contract money?”
- The Los Angeles Clippers have agreed to sign Willie Green, according to Eric Pincus: “The Los Angeles Clippers have added on yet another veteran, agreeing to acquire Willie Green from the Atlanta Hawks via sign and trade. The Clippers give up the rights to Sofocles Schortsianitis who they drafted back in 2003 (34th pick). “Sofo” played one summer league for the Clippers but never officially joined the team. Green played a season in New Orleans with Chris Paul. At 31-years old, Green is a steady 6’3″ shooting guard. In 53 games for Atlanta last season, Green shot 44.2% from three-point range on 113 attempts.”
In a recent interview, Yao Ming said he was glad the Knicks declined to match Houston’s offer for Jeremy Lin, from Berman: “Yao Ming doesn’t give many interviews anymore, but he stopped long enough yesterday as he entered the Olympic Park’s basketball arena to give a thumbs up to Jeremy Lin leaving the Knicks and joining his former club, the Rockets. The 7-foot-6 Yao is doing Olympic commentary for Chinese TV and worked Spain’s 97-81 victory over China. When asked what he thought of Lin joining the Rockets, Yao told The Post, “It will be good for both of them, Jeremy and Houston.’’
- Nate Robinson will soon join the Chicago Bulls, according to Sam Amick: “Back from vacation & free agency continues: the agent for Nate Robinson, Aaron Goodwin, says the veteran point guard will sign with Chicago today “barring unforeseen problems.” Robinson averaged 11.2 points (42.4 percent shooting overall), 23.5 minutes, 1.2 steals and a career-high 4.5 assists per game with Golden State last season. Assuming the signing takes place, this will be the 28-year-old’s fifth team since the 2009-10 campaign (NY, Boston, Oklahoma City, Golden State and the Bulls).”
- The Golden State Warriors continued to add depth on the team by signing Carl Landry and are close to re-signing Brandon Rush, according to Matt Steinmetz: “The Warriors have signed free-agent power forward Carl Landry and are close to re-signing restricted free agent Brandon Rush, according to Mark Bartelstein, the agent for each player. Bartelstein confirmed that Landry’s deal was for two years, $8 million. The second year is a player option. Bartelstein indicated on Monday morning that it was possible both signings could become official later in the day — and now the Landry signing has.”
- Baron Davis has recently been publishing videos through NOC, much like his buddy Steve Nash. Here is the latest installment of “Brian Davies” with John Wall to discuss the top five moments of the Dream Team.
- Trey Kerby of TBJ found a recap of the game between Team USA and France through LEGOs.