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Kevin Durant explains why he can understand Caitlyn Clark being left off Olympic Roster in Wallstreet Journal Interview



Full quote: “ I still think there's proper steps you have to take in our world to be considered an Olympian. I think she's definitely going to be on one of these teams going forward, but for right now there's better candidates out there I think. But Caitlin's just gotta continue to keep showing up every day. The WNBA is doing a great job of showcasing her. I'm seeing her games on ESPN every other day. No matter what they're talking about, there's a lot of dialogue around the game right now, so that's good as well. But I think as she keeps getting better as a player, her production on the court gets better, then the league will grow, alongside some of the other women as well. A'ja Wilson, there's just so many great players in our league, that Caitlin has helped shine that light on them. And that'll help the league grow over time."

by mmaguy123

27 Comments

  1. Inevitable_Big_1966

    Diana Taurasi geriatric ahh is making the team bru. No one is disputing AjA Wilson

  2. I liked how Kevin Durant said “alongside some of the other women as well. A’ja Wilson, there’s just so many great players …”

    The man ran out of WNBA players he knew lmfao.

  3. > I still think there’s proper steps you have to take in our world to be considered an Olympian.

    Those steps are whatever we want them to be. Every Men’s Olympic Basketball team has had their reasons for bringing who they brought it and there has never been a defined metric by which one becomes an olympian or not.

    CC could just as easily been on this team as she was left off. I’m not even a proponent of CC making the olympics, but I just think this whole discourse about it is so off putting because stuff like what KD is saying here is making it seem like there is some step she has to go through when in reality, they just didn’t want her. Its as simple as that. Just like the dream team didn’t want Isiah Thomas either.

  4. WinesburgOhio

    I want CC to go full heel turn and become a Canadian or French citizen and play with them.

  5. Reasonable take from Durant. Clark hasn’t done anything to prove herself in the pros yet. Like he said she’s 22….if she ends up as good as advertised she’ll still be at the Olympics 3 or 4 times during her career.

    And if someone wants to say “what about Laettner? He was on the team before he proved himself” I think it was dumb for team USA to do that back then too.

  6. postedupinthecold

    nobody has more authority to speak on USA basketball than KD, hes probably our GOAT when it comes to international play

  7. Jameson623

    wasn’t anthony davis on the olympics roster before ever playing in the nba?

  8. SkyMayFall

    fun fact of the day: the last time the US women’s olympic baskeball team lost a game was 1992.

  9. NotVexingPi3

    Never thought I’d see Kevin Durant and Wall Street Journal in the same sentence

  10. It has nothing to do with being reasonable or what’s “correct”

    The Dream Team literally globalized the NBA

    These women (who have been complaining FOR YEARS) FINALLY have an opportunity to get views, money, attention

    But they are so jealous and spiteful they can’t see past their nose

    Caitlin on the team = double maybe triple the attention

    Fair or unfair.. who cares, get the attention while it’s hot

    They’re going to push fans away and maybe Clark away

    I’m already starting to root for their failure after all the shit they’ve been pulling on her

    She needs to walk away for a while and let them starve

  11. A-Centrifugal-Force

    I don’t think anyone is arguing for it based on having earned it. It’s that it would be extraordinarily good for *marketing*. That’s why it’s a dumb decision. They’ll win gold either way.

  12. Flabpack221

    Wnba needs people to watch them. There’s literally no better way to get more viewers than to put CC on the team as the 12th woman and give her minutes when they’re up big. The iron is hot right now. Now is the time to take advantage. Not in four years when she’s actually ready but a fraction of the attention is on her.

  13. I remember nephews in this sub telling me she deserves it over taurasi, the most decorated FIBA athlete of all time and a 5 time gold medal winner

  14. jejsjhabdjf

    Kevin Durant telling someone else they need to take a harder road

  15. sleepy_fuzz

    Why wasn’t Zeke on the Dream Team? Politics. 

  16. CoyoteDecent2

    If CC was on the team I would tune in. She’s not playing so I won’t watch any games. She has that type of pull. Similar to when the Warriors came into the scene, you just wanted to watch them play

  17. TrafficOn405

    Taurasi at 42 is on the team as a lifetime achievement award.

  18. Main-County-1177

    I feel like people are also forgetting the crazy amount of minutes she’s racked up. Full NCAA season with practically no break, right into rookie WNBA season. Would be much better to not play at the Olympics

  19. RainCitySeaChicken

    This is a reddit post about a tweet about an article about another article

  20. Musicfan637

    We wanted to see her. It’s ridiculous she won’t be there. Victor will be there. There is only one other player averaging 15-5-5, which means she’s proving to be one of the best players already. Come on guys. Let her play.

  21. Mountain-Group-2640

    Why do we keep needing to hear this over and over from everyone? Especially when she already said she understands?

  22. shiftieresian

    It’s almost like they chose seasoned and experienced professionals over a player who just came out of college.

    Respectfully, some of the masses are just have idiotic opinions.

  23. mymentor79

    Not a single disputable thing in what he said. CC hasn’t earned a spot on an Olympic squad yet.

  24. qkilla1522

    One day Caitlin Clark will be popular enough for internet users to spell her name with an I and not a Y.

  25. patsfan012

    Maybe she should join a 73 win team and collect easy rings

  26. Viciouscauliflower21

    Lord have mercy. It’s her rookie year. She’ll be fine and so will the exceptionally talented team that we’re fielding. There will be plenty more opportunities for her and all the other exceptionally talented rookies that didn’t make the cut this go round

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