USA: BASKETBALL - Blake Griffin and Kevin Durant upbeat on U.S. Olympic team prospects and playing in the shadow of the 1992 Dream Team
Record ID:
330832
USA: BASKETBALL - Blake Griffin and Kevin Durant upbeat on U.S. Olympic team prospects and playing in the shadow of the 1992 Dream Team
- Title: USA: BASKETBALL - Blake Griffin and Kevin Durant upbeat on U.S. Olympic team prospects and playing in the shadow of the 1992 Dream Team
- Date: 12th July 2012
- Summary: LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, UNITED STATES (JULY 10, 2012) (REUTERS) ***CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** (SOUNDBITE) (English) LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS FORWARD BLAKE GRIFFIN, SAYING: "It means the world. As a kid, to sit and watch the Olympics whenever they were on and see all the athletes and see how much it meant to them and the intensity in the competition, not just basketball but every sport." BLAKE GRIFFIN AT PHOTO SHOOT OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER FORWARD KEVIN DURANT AT PHOTO SHOOT (SOUNDBITE) (English) KEVIN DURANT, SAYING: "It means a lot. It's something I've been wanting to do since I was a kid. After hearing about the Dream Team for so long and the US not get there for a few years and then with the Redeem Team, after my rookie season I was just excited to play for my country. I'm glad I got this opportunity, I can't keep stressing that. Just to put that jersey on means a lot. It's more than just those guys on the basketball court, we're playing for our whole country. That's pretty cool to say I did that." BLAKE GRIFFIN AT PHOTO SHOOT (SOUNDBITE) (English) BLAKE GRIFFIN, SAYING: "I think coming in to training camp, and this has only been our fourth or fifth day, but I think the focus is there and I think everybody knows that we have a bullseye on our back and teams are gunning for us." KEVIN DURANT AT PHOTO SHOOT (SOUNDBITE) (English) KEVIN DURANT, SAYING: "Well it's fun. Those guys, they know a lot about the game of basketball and they're just great teammates. Two or three days of practice and it looks like we've been playing together for years."
- Embargoed: 27th July 2012 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Usa
- Country: USA
- Topics: Sports
- Reuters ID: LVA1UIZWRGGFY2ERC2Z0NHQIFGMO
- Story Text: Blake Griffin and Kevin Durant have not only joined the list of all-stars on the U.S. men's Olympic basketball team, but they will be front and center on the new NBA video game NBA2K13. Griffin and Durant will make up two of the three basketball stars gracing the cover of the popular sports game.
Oklahoma City Thunder star Durant says he's an avid player of the game and being the face of the latest edition is a dream come true, but he says he does stay loyal to his team.
"Sometimes. Sometimes I play as myself. Seeing yourself in a video game is kinda' crazy, so every chance I get I try to play with the Thunder," said Durant. Durant's Thunder recently lost th NBA championships to fellow Olympian Lebron James's Miami Heat.
Griffin and Durant took time out from the U.S. Olympic team training camp to talk about the trip to London and comparisons to the 1992 Dream Team, the first Olympic team to feature NBA players that walked their way to a gold medal.
The 2012 games in London line up nicely with that historic team, the 20th anniversary of the U.S. 'Dream Team' could coincide with a dream tournament in what looms as a fiercely competitive basketball competition at the London Olympics.
Griffin, the Clippers forward who just signed for another 5 years with the Los Angeles team, says he still puts the hall-of-famers from 1992 on a pedestal.
"It was definitely legendary. It is cool to hear those comparisons but at the same time, that was probably one of the best teams ever composed," said Griffin. "We have a lot of work to do and we have a lot of guys that have promising careers and guys that have already had great careers and are still having great careers. At the end of the day maybe we might be up there but as far as I'm concerned right now, the Dream Team pretty much holds the title."
The U.S. 2012 squad reads like an all-star team including Kobe Bryant, Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Kevin Love, Blake Griffin, Andre Iguodala and Tyson Chandler. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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