Thursday, September 12, 2013
Kevin Durant enthusiastic about 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup
Kevin Durant is back in the familiar surroundings of Barcelona this week, the city he visited with the United States squad last summer before traveling to London and capturing an Olympic gold medal.
The Americans' presence in the Catalonian capital in 2012 was a big deal because there is a rich tradition of basketball in the city and fans relished the opportunity to see the USA stars.
Making that trip to Barcelona even more significant was that Spain and Argentina faced Durant and his teammates in friendly games at the Palau Saint Jordi.
"It's taken me a whole year to return but I'm glad to be back here and very happy to spend a couple of days in this great city," Durant told Sport.es.
Durant, the MVP of the 2010 FIBA World Championship in Turkey, had expected to run into Spain in that competition but it didn't happen as the Spaniards fell to Serbia in the Quarter-Finals.
The USA eventually beat the tournament hosts Turkey for the championship.
Four years earlier at the 2006 FIBA World Championship in Japan, the two sides had also missed each other.
The USA lost to Greece in the Semi-Finals and faced Argentina in the Third-Place Game, while Spain defeated Greece to capture the title.
Maybe in 2014, the United States and Spain will meet in the title game.
"We'll see," Durant said.
"Spain always has a great team with great players and is a candidate to win. I'm very excited about coming next year. I know that we'll have young players who have not taken part in international competitions, so I wanted to help and take on the role of leader."
Durant says he treasures the memory of 2010.
While he had already made a loud splash in the NBA by the time he arrived in Turkey for the FIBA World Championship, that tournament enhanced his reputation and helped him grow as a player.
"It was certainly a special time," Durant said.
"There was the transition from being a young player in the league to being needed to be a major player in the team.
"I learned a lot at the World Championship in Turkey and coach Mike Krzyzewski helped me. I had a blast.
"I look forward to the World Cup next year and making it an experience as rewarding as the one I had in Turkey."
The United States defeated Spain in last year's Olympic Final to clinch a place at the2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
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