Monday, July 30th, 2012 at 11:20 am  |  71 responses

LeBron James Wants Kevin Durant to Shoot the Ball More for Team USA


by Marcel Mutoni / @marcel_mutoni

Kevin Durant is unquestionably the NBA’s best scorer. That has been the case for 3 of his 5 seasons in the League. Ergo, that makes him the best scorer in the galaxy, which includes the Olympics.

There’s just one little problem: Kevin Durant, surrounded by an enormous amount of talent and firepower on Team USA, has become a tad gunshy. And LeBron James wants Durant to get back to his old ways.

James (among others) is strongly urging his Olympic teammate to shoot, and shoot often.

From the Charlotte Observer:

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’ cry for Durant to put the ball up more often has been echoed around the team. When Kobe Bryant was asked what he said to Durant during the game, Bryant replied gruffly: “Shoot the … ball.” Said Durant: “Sometimes coach was screaming at me. And Chris Paul was screaming at me more than anybody, ‘Shoot the ball!’ I guess I’ve got to be aggressive.”

Russell Westbrook could not be reached for comment, I’m assuming. Kidding!

Until the Americans are met with a real challenge – say, a particularly determined squad from Argentina or Spain — KD can defer to his teammates all he wants. One suspects that Durant won’t shy away from putting away an opponent by shooting the ball when it really matters.

  • Add a Comment
  • Share
  • RSS

Tags: , , , , ,

← Older Comments
  • http://www.slamonline.com Slick Ric

    Kd jumper has been money this summer, he should definitely shoot more.

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    Got swept by Dirk.
    But it wasn’t Kobe’s fault. It’s never Kobe’s fault.

  • http://slamonline.com LakeShow

    This summer?^
    Dirk didn’t “choke” this year. He just had a lousy year( by Superstar standards).
    Kobe choked more than Dirk or KD in this year in the playoffs. Fact.

  • http://slamonline.com LakeShow

    That was @ Ric. Implying, KD’s jumper has been wet for a minute now.

  • http://Slamonline.com Black Mamba

    Cosign nbk @4:45. Dirk didn’t choke this year because the Mavs never were in close games because they suck

  • http://www.kb24.com The Seed

    So you all predict Dirk will be back great right and KD choked on the big stage to me and others. Just because yall are believing Westbrook was the problem is wrong. KD had no fire and his emotion was the best hugging his mom, maybe KD needs to play with his backpack on. I am done. Why yall talking about Kobe, he played bad in the last two minutes of two of the OKC games. I admit that, LA went to three straight NBA Finals, come on yall he has produced. KD let the world down. Excuse for Dirk right yall, blame the team, he came back into the NBA out of shape and does not want it anymore. watch the games I did. KD needs to man up. PERIOD!!

  • http://Slamonline.com FU*K YOU BRANDON

    Very very sad bout my bro. But guess what Internet nerd geeks I’m baaaaaaaaack

  • http://Slamonline.com F YOU BRANDON

    Real nbk is more of a troll than me

  • http://www.slamonline.com L.E.

    Seed
    One more try to get you back to reality.
    You can’t judge Dirk as a one hit wonder, because his Championship team, some of the biggest pieces, wasn’t resigned and Dirk and his team never had the chance to show what is left in the tank.
    Sorry but that is true and I can’t understand how you make such flat statements on a sport that is so complex.

  • http://www.slamonline.com L.E.

    What has his bagpack and a intense hug with his mum to do with playing basketball. You do stupid statements and nobody is taking you serious.
    I just mentioned Kobe and asked you what he did last year takes him out of your discussion about losers.
    I wasn’t even talking about Kobe. The only one talking and hating about guys is you and one day you will realize. I hope.

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    once the Mavericks roster was set for this year nobody thought they’d be competing for anything Seed. Anyway, haven’t you been a seed for a while now? Shouldn’t you be a budding plant by now? Or a full on stupid tree?

  • LA Huey

    I assumed his alias was a euphemism for semen.

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    Man, I just thought LeBron made Durant work and the Heat as a team played him tough every game. I didn’t see any problems with his “fire”. He always has a calm demeanor, his demeanor was calm when he was destroying everyone else in the playoffs.
    LeBron was the better player, the Heat were the better team. That’s it. I mean, LeBron flipped the big boy switch in the playoffs and no one else on the planet could match him at this point. Doesn’t mean Durant won’t be able to match him next year or the year after that, or even that LeBron will be able to flip that switch again.

  • http://slamonline.com LakeShow

    It’s funny how France has 1 player that can effectively play the PG position. (2 if you have to count Diaw)
    The U.S. has 6-7 players.
    1.CP3
    2.D-Will
    3.RussWest
    4.LBJ
    5.Iggy
    6.James Harden
    7. Kobe, Durant, Anthony Davis all would run the point better than anyone else France has outside TP and Diaw.
    Just re-watched LBJ hit that sick turn around jumper in the 2nd.
    Slickness.

  • http://www.slamonline.com melvin ely

    lol @ stupid tree

  • http://www.slamonline.com Dagger

    Why is it that Lebron rarely gets mentioned when people talk about the best scorers in the league? His efficiency is off the charts, he’s basically unguardable at this point, he can score from anywhere on the floor while playing any position, his best scoring year was better than Durant’s best, and he has one of the highest scoring averages ever for his career so far (third or fourth all-time, if I’m not mistaken).

  • the king

    @ dagger dam i was just thinking that

  • Bernie

    The seed hatin Durant like it didn’t take lbj 9 years to get a ring. This was KDs third trip to the playoffs and you honestly expect them to win it all? OKC is damn good and constantly improving. They played so bad against Dallas in the conference finals and look what they did this year. They’ll get better. I don’t think melo will ever get a scoring title id be surprised if Lebron and Kevin love didn’t though

  • BallsDeep

    Ya’ll are f**ked. I was seriously sad when I thought Mamba was dead, not coz of any other reason than you don’t want to see a fellow blogger killed. but then of course, it’s bullshizen. Typical. I agree with *** that Durant should score like a Junky in NYC and set some Olympic records, coz no-one anywhere in the world can guard him, a seven-footer with range, c’mon.
    And Lakeshow, you sir, are what we call, in my country, a wanker. Can you go a sentence w/out jumping all over Kobe’s balls. I bet even Kobe is creeped out at yr ‘enthusiasm’.
    Peace (except LakeShow)

  • http://Slamonline.com Black Mamba

    @ballsdeep. I hope you feel better knowing I’m alive and well.

  • Triple double

    The Seed is either just winding people up to get a reaction, or, he is 12, or he knows nothing about the nba. Maybe all three if those. Seed, please never spread your Seed. Your weak. WEAK.

← Older Comments
Advertisement