San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
Curry, Durant both right about Olympics
Kevin Durant wasn’t about to miss the Olympics basketball tournament. Even if his Brooklyn Nets had made the NBA Finals, he’d show up in Tokyo at the earliest possible time, wondering how soon he could hit the practice court.
Stephen Curry is spending the summer at home with his wife and kids, or out on the golf course, and getting some muchneeded rest ahead of an NBA grind that begins with the opening of training camps Sept. 28.
Two superstars, two completely different attitudes — and both are absolutely right.
USA Basketball head coach Gregg Popovich has made it clear that if he could take just one player off an NBA roster for the upcoming tournament, it would be Durant — unstoppable, as are several players, but also 6foot11. When Durant committed to play after the season’s long grind, one that featured an inspiring recovery from Achilles tendon surgery, Popovich was delighted. And not surprised.
“What this says about him, he loves to win,” Popovich said as the team prepared for Sunday’s opening game against France (5 a.m. Pacific). “He loves the camaraderie, he wants to be part of this all the time, and that’s his motivation. Luckily for all of us, that’s who he is. It’s a testament to his character.”
USA teammate Draymond Green said there was “no doubt in my mind that he was playing. All the minutes played in the playoffs, had some injuries throughout the playoffs — knowing Kevin, you’d have to talk him of playing . ... He just loves hoopin’. That’s what he does.”
For a number of reasons, Curry has never competed in the Olympics (Durant owns two gold medals), but he’s got another card to play. With his magical oncourt presence and widespread global appeal, he’ll be in demand for the 2024 Olympics (in Paris), even at the age of 36. That promises to be a more rewarding experience than the current Games, rendered hollow by the pandemic and certain to leave a number of athletes unfulfilled.
As for right now, “I don’t need to try to push Steph to play for Team USA because I already know the reasons why,” Green said. Golden State fans get the picture, as well. A fresh, invigorated Curry this autumn sounds just fine to them.
Around the NBA
Can’t shake this thought: Durant seemingly eliminated the Milwaukee Bucks a full month before they won the championship. That’s the only way you can view his apparent 3point shot at the buzzer of regulation time in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals, touching off a wild celebration in Brooklyn and leaving Giannis Antetokounmpo to wonder about next season. Just one problem: Durant’s enormous shoe. A replay review showed that his foot barely touched the line, it was reduced to a 2pointer, and the Bucks went on to win in overtime. Has there ever been a more influential shoe size in league history? Good to know: Although there is no exact timetable for James Wiseman’s recovery from knee surgery, general manager Bob Myers still intends to enlist Kevin Garnett and David West for mentoring sessions with the young center. That’s toplevel instruction. It’s worth noting, too, that a primary reason behind the Warriors adding Dejan Milojevic to their coaching staff was to work with Wiseman. Milojevic has a long track record of developing big men in his native Serbia, including Nikola Jokic, Ivica Zubac and Boban Marjanovic.
From retired star Chris Bosh, on ESPN: “I truly believe in Wiseman. All he has to do is set screens for Steph and Klay (Thompson), and roll, and he’ll be open all next season ... they just have to really enjoy the situation that they’re in right now.” Along those lines: Nobody quite compares to Antetokounmpo, now or ever, but he proved conclusively that lowpost play remains viable in the NBA. He kept his 3point shot attempts to a minimum (just 15 over six games in the Finals) and went to work around the basket. Shaquille O’Neal, who adamantly resents the trend of centers obsessed with outside shooting, had to love that.
As for the Bucks’ future, they have Giannis, Khris Middleton, Jrue Holiday and Brook Lopez locked up for at least the next two seasons. The big issues will be the freeagent status of P.J. Tucker and Bobby Portis. For those exasperated by the sight of shooters faking a defender into the air, then lurching awkwardly into a collision to force a foul: The league is to about to crack down on “unnatural shooting motions.” It sounds ridiculous, especially when you recall some of Curry’s splayedbody shots (they actually went but the idea is that you can’t bullishly initiate contact, lean in at an abnormal angle or kick a leg in the air. If you lean backward or sideways to force contact, you’re OK. Otherwise, the act could result in a noncall or even an offensive foul. Once again, women drew a blank as eight head coaching jobs came open at season’s end. That’s a grave injustice to the likes of Becky Hammon and
Teresa Weatherspoon, among others. But seven of those jobs went to Black coaches, who now hold 13 of the 30 positions in the league. That’s significant progress. One reason why Popovich,
Steve Kerr, Phil Jackson and
Pat Riley will be remembered for lengthy coaching tenures: They were seldom, if ever, “tuned out” by players tired of hearing their voices. Two examples on the flip side: Stan Van Gundy and P.J. Carlesimo. And a shining light in today’s game: Phoenix’s Monty Williams, whose cool and enlightened manner came to light during mikedup moments and interviews during the playoffs. A man of unshakable faith, put to the test when he lost his wife in a traffic accident, Williams is the epitome of class — in any walk of life.