After successfully winning the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup, the United States Men’s National Team has all the cause in the world to celebrate.
With a roster that highlighted some of the youngest and brightest stars of the game, they were able to demonstrate the United States brand of basketball in impressive fashion.
Led by Kyrie Irving, Team USA dominated Serbia 129-92 in the championship round to win the gold medal. As a major contributor along with Anthony Davis and Kenneth Faried, Irving should be able to take the momentum and experience gained in this tournament forward as he teams up with LeBron James and Kevin Love in Cleveland this season.
Our own Chris Sheridan was on hand to recap the feat, and also provide us with a hopeful outlook on Irving’s future beyond this moment.
The World Cup is different. And it matters.
And to all those basketball fans back home who did not want to be bothered, or did not pay attention, or said it did not matter — you are wrong. If Irving wins an NBA championship for the Cleveland Cavaliers playing alongside LeBron James and Kevin Love next season, part of the reason he will have been successful is because of what he went through this summer.
“Being a part of it, you’re part of something bigger than yourself,” Irving said. “This is by far the biggest accomplishment of my life so far. This is amazing, one of the greatest feelings that I’ve ever felt. The memories will last a lifetime.”
Irving knocked down all six of his 3-pointers as the Americans unleashed an offensive onslaught on Serbia in their 129-92 victory. The execution from Team USA was astonishing, even given the caliber of opponent.
Entering his fourth year in the NBA, the expectations for Irving and the Cavaliers have increased for obvious reasons. The comfort of having LeBron and Kevin Love around ensures that Irving won’t have to assume the work load that he’s endured for three years already. This should also allow him to transition his game to one of an elite point guard, while working on improving his efforts on the defensive end.
With Cleveland expected to not only make the playoffs but advance deep in them, Irving has all the tools to rise to the next level in his professional career this season.
Other News Around The League:
The Charlotte Hornets may consider adding another big man to the roster. After losing Josh McRoberts to the Miami Heat in free agency, and announcing that rookie forward Noah Vonleh will be out six-eight weeks recovering from surgery, they’ll be looking to add some depth in the meantime. Per Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer:
Q. How much or little will missing the preseason affect Noah Vonleh’s rookie season?
A. It will definitely affect how quickly he can reach the chance to be in the playing group because a lot of the teaching comes at training camp. But he made good strides during summer league.
If you look at the early schedule (18 games before the end of November) we just don’t have many days to practice. In the preseason you can have double sessions and can do a lot of teaching. Camp is so geared to your game – both team and individual games. In the season you spend more time preparing for opponents.
Q. Do you see any holes on your roster heading into training camp?
A. Noah going down (to injury) means we need to add another big guy. Right now we have four (big) guys who are healthy – Marvin (Williams), Cody (Zeller), Al (Jefferson) and Biz (Bismack Biyombo).
It’s no secret that the Kevin Love trade to Cleveland was in the works for sometime, but Minnesota Timberwolves point guard Ricky Rubio has revealed that he never consulted with his former teammate prior to the deal. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports: “If he wanted to leave, there’s no reason to talk to him about it,” Rubio told Yahoo. “I really liked playing with him, but I’ll play with the players who want to be there. Kevin wants to win. That’s normal. He’s been there six years without the playoffs. I understand. If I was in the same situation – being one of the best players in the league – and not being able to be in the playoffs, I’d have a lot of frustration, too. “The last couple years there have been a lot of questions. It is hard – even if the team is good – the media always talks about it. You don’t want to think about it, but everyone is always talking about your main guy this way. And it becomes harder to be focused.
The Memphis Grizzlies will be adding free agent forward Earl Clark to their training camp roster. Clark played for Cleveland last season before being traded and subsequently waived by the Philadelphia 76ers. Clark also signed two separate 10-day contracts with the Knicks before becoming a free agent. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports also broke the initial report.
Esau Howard is a regular contributor to Sheridan Hoops. You can follow him on Twitter @EsauTheFirst.