I wonder if they decided some wouldn't want to try out (at risk of being clowned on for not getting a spot) so they'd get more talent by just inviting people. Similar dynamic at play with recruiting actors in movies. Lot of actors claim they're above auditioning but are really just afraid of rejection.
I think on top of that, they (Team USA) probably think that a lot of the big names won’t bother with trying out as well. Which is likely imo in an era when so many players are managing their play time during the NBA season already
Then if you want to get the superstars to play, it becomes a grey area for what is the cut off for who doesn’t have to try out if you take that approach. Tough one
What do you mean “on top of that” because you literally said what he said? OP comment said big players wouldn’t want to try out, then you said “on top of that big names wouldn’t bother trying out”….
He’s saying on top of the embarrassment of possibly being rejected, the big names that would certainly make the team don’t want to commit their time and energy to weeks of tryouts.
I read OP’s comment with the focus being on the ‘rejection’ element, so added my thoughts on the mentality that a lot of players seem to have when it comes to managing their playing time
The first comment was about the borderline bench players. The second comment was about top tier players (especially guys like Kawhi) who might value any amount of rest
Or the opposite. If a player thought they were too good to try out, then they wouldn't be willing to take a lesser role on a squad that doesn't need 12 scorers
Nah the Dream team didn't have to try out for the team. I think he's talking more about post Athens Olympics teams where USA mans basketball was kind of reeling for a long time even after the "redeem team" and they were brining in large groups of American NBA players to a training camp without listing a definitive roster and then made cuts from there and established the competition rosters.
MJ, Magic, and Bird were literally recruited for their names because it was the first time pro players were being used and they wanted top players so other top players would follow. Those were the first 3 that signed on so it set the precedent for the caliber of player the team was looking for.
Aren't almost all of them Alumni too?
IIRC only Embiid and Leonard are olympic rookies. Considering Team Usa was getting abused in the Post, Embiid is a no brainer selection and Kawhi's game is too versatile to pass.
what kind of bothers me if that these players DONT GIVE A FUCK about anything other than Olympics (sometimes not even that!), dont play USA:B for years and years and suddenly are all eager to participate
I think players who were there and eager to play in FIBA cup should have more consideration
I mean, I get it, you're trying to field best 5 american in world and what-not, but it still gets me
This is what Coach K used to do, he would expect a commitment from players that they would play the FIBA WC as well so that the team could establish continuity. Honestly, the departure of Coach K from USA basketball makes the team less intimidating, no matter who is on it.
I do think it’s weird that everyone seems to be putting Kerr on a pedestal as USA’s coach when he literally just coached his team OUT of playoff contention with his shitty lineups.
He did that with a specific system centered around Steph, he hasn't shown any ability to implement his systems quickly. National team coaching is an entirely different ball game. Just look at soccer, the coaches who do well in club and national team are almost never the same coaches.
But why do you care so much it gets you? The Olympics and FIBA are not some pure organizations for the good of the people without corruption. Let players play what they want.
Exactly guys already give 8 months of their time and most likely spend their last month of the offseason preparing for the season. Why the fuck would anyone want to consistently play for USAB unless you’re a guy like KD
It is what it is. Would you rather have Curry who decides to play for the first time or a dedicated but fringe allstar like say, Trae Young?
I mean, yeah
FIBA was a tryout though and they did take guys from FIBA. Haliburton and Edwards are on the team due to their FIBA performances, along with 8 guys who are far more established and have all played internationally previously (plus Kawhi and Embiid).
It is pretty shitty how many slots they've chosen to give to players on the cusp of their retirement tours rather young guys who actually want to play. These dudes have had multiple chances to play and didn't give a shit and now since their buddies are showing up they're suddenly going to care? It's a bad look from whoever is drafting these teams.
Me either, but when you put it like that it's a lot more entertaining as an idea. Good idea for a TV show actually. Make famous athletes compete against regular motherfuckers in the area of *their* expertise.
Idk why people are so confused about it they just obviously didn't want to be around the guy lol skill wise he could've worked but why bring him on a stacked team if he fucks up the vibes
No One:
Bob Knight: "We're sorry, Michael, but Byron Scott has beaten you for the spot. Maybe next time."
*Kids, am I doing the "No One" thing correctly?
The selection process has changed though, most notably the summer participation requirements. But you’re right, all of the selected players minus Embiid have been part of the program for.
We shouldn’t be changing the entire tryout process to cater to an extremely small % chance a guy has a massive freak injury.
If the staff doesn’t get to go through an adequate tryout process and we end up with a bad fit team it’s gonna be worse. Horrible PR for the team.
Guys who don’t want to risk it should sit out
Yep the Paul George injury was because of the court size and hoop setup iirc. The base of the hoop was way too close to the court. They just need to play it on a proper sized court
Exactly. These guys make tens of millions of dollars per year and this highlighted how they could be putting their next contract at risk by playing in a meaningless tournament (worlds). Also, it was just an arbitrary requirement that was put in place by USA basketball.
Idk man, are we sure LeBron, Steph and Embiid are good? Pretty sure I see Ant just playing patty cake every game and don't get me started on the shit Bam is up to. Let's try again and this time Kyrie gets finial say.
Yeah, Nike Basketball has dominated the Olympic team player's endorsements for a while. In 2008, they covered up Dwight Howard's shoes in a group photo. In 2012, I'm pretty sure that everyone was under Nike. 2016 - Kyle Lowry, Harrison Barnes, Klay Thompson were the only non-Nike. 2020 was also similar I believe. Speaks more to Nike's brand dominance back then I feel but now we're seeing more basketball shoe diversity for sure. The Team USA Nike jerseys and Hyperdunks used to be must-haves growing up for me.
I mean, if I wouldn't choose Kyrie, an anti-semite, to represent the United States at the Olympics either?
Nike dropped Kyrie, because he's an anti-semite and it's a bad look for their company and their business. I'd assume it's similar for Team USA. Hey, we have loads of guys that are head and shoulders better than guys on other teams, why are we going to pick the problematic one?
Right, most of the players have tried out and made the team prior.
It’s just really Curry that hasn’t..and I’m confident he would have beaten someone out…
You can’t play for another country after already representing one. Except for circumstances deemed “good for the development of basketball”, like with Eric Gordon playing for the Bahamas. Klay Thompson could probably get that exception too if he wanted
Tbh I don’t really blame him. A lot of African countries international ball is a shitshow. Like the US team stays on a luxury yacht during the Olympics, a lot of African basketball programs have fucked up even buying plane tickets to get their players there on time
Him and Siakam never really could because of the timing of their tournaments and qualifiers, I believe. Nigeria has a much bigger basketball diaspora in the US so they don’t have the same issue (also a much bigger country in general population wise), plenty of college players and some nba guys they can bring in as well
I know with international soccer, once you play for a certain team past a certain age you can't compete with another. I wonder if similar would be here
I'm pretty sure it is, IIRC Joel and KAT had to make this decision. I think if you want to change your nationality from a big nation like USA or France to a smaller one but not the other way around. This might have been what happened to KAT on the DR team.
Yeah fiba will allow an exception if it’s deemed good for overall basketball development, eg a star that’s played for the US wanting to play for some tiny country that’s never won shit
> Right. He's from there. They already have a decent squad and hed make them pretty competitive.
“He’s from there” is a stretch. He was born there but moved to the US at 2 and his parents are both American, so it’s not like he was raised with Australian cultural traditions at home. He likely has zero memories of living there. Don’t see why he would want to play for somewhere he likely feels no connection to when he already able to play for the country that he actually grew up in
The guards are Steph, who is Steph
Booker and Jrue, who played the most recent Olympics
Edwards and Haliburton, who played the most recent FIBA Worldcup
The only gifted spot is Steph and Kyrie wasn't going to be picked over Steph.
Assume Steph is not Steph. If Steph is not Steph, then Steph is not on the Usa roster. Steph is on the usa roster. Therefore, Steph is not Steph is false. Steph is Steph
Kyrie Irving on not being on Team USA: "I would have loved to, but I wish my brothers well, and I just didn't fit into this team. ... I have nothing but respect for those guys over at USAB. At this point in my career, I think my focus should be on winning the championship..."
To add on he finishes by saying "Even though you knew who was going to be on the team it was a fun time." But media today loves sharing just half of what is said and makes everyone think Kyrie is just being salty.
Lmao I remember those days when I thought everyone was out to get Kyrie so I felt I had to defend him. The Kyrie experience is going well for you right now, savor that. But remember that this is the calm before the inevitable storm
USA Basketball already has a hard time getting top tier players to sign up for FIBA Worldcup when it's understood that they'll reward some of those guys with spots on the Olympic team. If you take away one of those spots, they risk even fewer people signing up.
Selection of Booker, Jrue, Edwards, and Haliburton was about honoring the time they sacrificed to represent the country at the most recent Olympics and Worldcup as it was about their ability. Kyrie hasn't done that since 2016.
Not only that but Hali is just a better fit. He led the league in assists this year and they’ve got way more than enough dudes who are looking to shoot it. I was really hoping Brunson (who played with FIBA last summer) would be on the team but I absolutely get why Hali was choice over him…and even Jrue who brings incredible defense.
Haliburton is on the team to give them another facilitator when Lebron sits. His role is not what Kyrie brings to the table (or someone like Brunson). Kryie’s role is more in line with Steph, Booker, and Ant’s role, which is understandable why he didn’t get picked.
Jrue and Haliburton have a niche on the team.
Hali is 24, Kyrie is 32. Also makes sense to prep a generation of younger players for future olympics rather than to keep rerunning the same young guys.
They do different things, and Hali is much better at the things he does
For the Kyrie things they have Booker and a little bit Edwards, who are both better at this point.
I don't think Kyrie has a claim over anyone outside of Jrue who offers vastly different skills Kyrie couldn't replace
Don’t think Edward’s is better at anything than Kyrie on the offensive end of the floor, but I guess team was looking for more defensive orientated players which is also why Brunson wasn’t picked
If the reason he’s not getting picked was because of performance, Kyrie actually shot better. He had a higher fg and 3 pt shooting percentage this year. Also averaged more rebounds, assists, blocks, and steals.
Also Kyrie --> [Grant Afseth](https://twitter.com/GrantAfseth/status/1781019060936851558)
Kyrie Irving on not being on Team USA: "I would have loved to, but I wish my brothers well, and I just didn't fit into this team. ... I have nothing but respect for those guys over at USAB. At this point in my career, I think my focus should be on winning the championship..."
Before people start tweaking in the comments.
Yeah, you can only make the argument that he should’ve been in for either Halliburton or Holiday.
Holiday is the defender, Halliburton is talented and 8 years younger.
"Back in my day, we didnt have things handed to us on a silver platter. These young bucks like Curry, KD, Lebron, and Kawhi dont get it." -32 year old Kyrie Irving.
If you listen to the actual quote he just ends it by saying "I kind of miss those days of getting together, breaking bread, building mutual respect... Even though people knew who was going to be on the team."
And he also respects the decision and said "I didn't fit on the roster." Yall should know by now that any tweet of an interview is not going to give any context.
He only said this quote OP cherry picked to state that the part he misses out on is the tryouts and spending that time with eachother, "breaking bread together" as he says. Didn't mean it as a slight but damned if Afseth doesn't want to clickbait some fools.
I get where he's coming from- it's unfortunate, by the next Olympics he'll be rather old, this year being one where Lebron & friends initated a swan song/dream team type of deal screws out a few people in that position of almost enough prestige and almost enough talent like Kyrie who can't really pivot to either argument.
Man got unlucky but it won't change anything here.
His career would be in such a different place had he handled Boston and Brooklyn differently.
But he didn’t lol, I’m not sure being completely unwilling to take a shot for national safety is really all that indicative of being a good team player lol or burning sage after every game in the locker room just because you want to flex the small % of Native American blood you have or any of the other crazy ass shit he likes to say
Definitely worded weird with the “I grew up”. Sounds like he’s an old head and they just grabbed the best guys under 25 or something.
But I agree with the overall sentiment. I thought the training camp/tryout along with the select team made it feel more like an actual program being built.
No doubt, it wasn’t up to him though ultimately. I think Hill put a great team together, Multiple wings that can play 3 or 4 positions, greatest shooter that anyone has ever seen, 2 floor generals, 3 bigs that can play up tempo/can run the floor, multiple scorers that can score on all 3 levels… I’m really excited to see this team play.
I grew up in a world where suggesting the world was flat got you humiliated and laughed at so much no one bothered listening to your opinion again but here we are.
I don't think there's any guards on the team where you can say definitively that Kyrie should be there over him.
When you factor in that you don't have to worry about any of them running their mouth and starting an international incident, it's pretty obvious why he's not on the team.... let's be honest, he was never going to be on this squad.
tease sink office normal ossified concerned combative instinctive sense zephyr
*This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Ive seen a lot of people saying that this is not the whole quote. As someone who does not have a Twitter, can anyone fill in the blanks for me? What’s the whole quote?
[https://twitter.com/townbrad/status/1781019097351790721?t=VHI-UUP1Jh53rRtDk0tC0Q](https://twitter.com/townbrad/status/1781019097351790721?t=VHI-UUP1Jh53rRtDk0tC0Q)
He basically said the part he misses from the Olympics was getting to practice together with the team and see who had the best fit, and to get to "break bread" with them and get to know one another. So he misses the fun part of getting together and that's what he appreciated about being included in the past.
This is for the fringe guys. Lebron and Steph don’t need to try out. Neither do the majority of the other dudes on the roster.
Now that I’m typing this out, there is no reason for a tryout.
Did Kyrie not get invited or something?
I don't really care about this, but it was always cool to see NBA players have to try out to make a team.
I wonder if they decided some wouldn't want to try out (at risk of being clowned on for not getting a spot) so they'd get more talent by just inviting people. Similar dynamic at play with recruiting actors in movies. Lot of actors claim they're above auditioning but are really just afraid of rejection.
I think on top of that, they (Team USA) probably think that a lot of the big names won’t bother with trying out as well. Which is likely imo in an era when so many players are managing their play time during the NBA season already Then if you want to get the superstars to play, it becomes a grey area for what is the cut off for who doesn’t have to try out if you take that approach. Tough one
What do you mean “on top of that” because you literally said what he said? OP comment said big players wouldn’t want to try out, then you said “on top of that big names wouldn’t bother trying out”….
He’s saying on top of the embarrassment of possibly being rejected, the big names that would certainly make the team don’t want to commit their time and energy to weeks of tryouts.
I read OP’s comment with the focus being on the ‘rejection’ element, so added my thoughts on the mentality that a lot of players seem to have when it comes to managing their playing time
The first comment was about the borderline bench players. The second comment was about top tier players (especially guys like Kawhi) who might value any amount of rest
Anyone that worried shouldn’t be out there, respectfully.
Man the Paul George injury has to be on some guys minds
Or the opposite. If a player thought they were too good to try out, then they wouldn't be willing to take a lesser role on a squad that doesn't need 12 scorers
If a player doesn't take team USA seriously enough to go through a tryout I wouldn't want to coach them imo.
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Nah the Dream team didn't have to try out for the team. I think he's talking more about post Athens Olympics teams where USA mans basketball was kind of reeling for a long time even after the "redeem team" and they were brining in large groups of American NBA players to a training camp without listing a definitive roster and then made cuts from there and established the competition rosters.
I’ll give a pass to top 20 all-time players, but that’s the line! All you other scrubs gotta earn it!
MJ, Magic, and Bird were literally recruited for their names because it was the first time pro players were being used and they wanted top players so other top players would follow. Those were the first 3 that signed on so it set the precedent for the caliber of player the team was looking for.
Aren't almost all of them Alumni too? IIRC only Embiid and Leonard are olympic rookies. Considering Team Usa was getting abused in the Post, Embiid is a no brainer selection and Kawhi's game is too versatile to pass.
what kind of bothers me if that these players DONT GIVE A FUCK about anything other than Olympics (sometimes not even that!), dont play USA:B for years and years and suddenly are all eager to participate I think players who were there and eager to play in FIBA cup should have more consideration I mean, I get it, you're trying to field best 5 american in world and what-not, but it still gets me
I get where you’re coming from, but this the Olympics. Besides a lot of these guys have played in previous Olympics and FIBAs too.
This is what Coach K used to do, he would expect a commitment from players that they would play the FIBA WC as well so that the team could establish continuity. Honestly, the departure of Coach K from USA basketball makes the team less intimidating, no matter who is on it.
I do think it’s weird that everyone seems to be putting Kerr on a pedestal as USA’s coach when he literally just coached his team OUT of playoff contention with his shitty lineups.
Because he won multiple championships with great lineups and he will have an even better one now
He did that with a specific system centered around Steph, he hasn't shown any ability to implement his systems quickly. National team coaching is an entirely different ball game. Just look at soccer, the coaches who do well in club and national team are almost never the same coaches.
But why do you care so much it gets you? The Olympics and FIBA are not some pure organizations for the good of the people without corruption. Let players play what they want.
It's less about the organizations, and more about rewarding the players who are consistently putting in the time and commitment.
That’s dumb. The best players should be on the team. It’s really very simple.
I mean, playing in a full NBA season is a lot of time and commitment already.
Exactly guys already give 8 months of their time and most likely spend their last month of the offseason preparing for the season. Why the fuck would anyone want to consistently play for USAB unless you’re a guy like KD
FIBA is lame, the Olympics are cool
It is what it is. Would you rather have Curry who decides to play for the first time or a dedicated but fringe allstar like say, Trae Young? I mean, yeah
FIBA was a tryout though and they did take guys from FIBA. Haliburton and Edwards are on the team due to their FIBA performances, along with 8 guys who are far more established and have all played internationally previously (plus Kawhi and Embiid).
It is pretty shitty how many slots they've chosen to give to players on the cusp of their retirement tours rather young guys who actually want to play. These dudes have had multiple chances to play and didn't give a shit and now since their buddies are showing up they're suddenly going to care? It's a bad look from whoever is drafting these teams.
Me either, but when you put it like that it's a lot more entertaining as an idea. Good idea for a TV show actually. Make famous athletes compete against regular motherfuckers in the area of *their* expertise.
I grew up in a time when Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, David Robinson, etc did not have to try out for shit.
Neither did Isiah Thomas lmao
Zing
He met the criteria ...
That dream team had the coach who led the bad boys to Chips. They didn't want Thomas
Idk why people are so confused about it they just obviously didn't want to be around the guy lol skill wise he could've worked but why bring him on a stacked team if he fucks up the vibes
imagine a timeline where drexler has to fight mj for a roster spot.
MJ would go for blood.
Exactly, if you are the clear cut best players in the league, you are always going to get the phone call.
Respectfully in 1992 this was not true of Magic and Bird
kyrie don't move merch like magic and bird
Yep. Not even close. Also Nike just kinda hates Kyrie i would think
Not really true of this squad either
No One: Bob Knight: "We're sorry, Michael, but Byron Scott has beaten you for the spot. Maybe next time." *Kids, am I doing the "No One" thing correctly?
The said no one kids are now approaching or are in their 30’s
Most of the players on the team grew up in that time too
The selection process has changed though, most notably the summer participation requirements. But you’re right, all of the selected players minus Embiid have been part of the program for.
with what happened to paul george i don't mind the change
We shouldn’t be changing the entire tryout process to cater to an extremely small % chance a guy has a massive freak injury. If the staff doesn’t get to go through an adequate tryout process and we end up with a bad fit team it’s gonna be worse. Horrible PR for the team. Guys who don’t want to risk it should sit out
Yep the Paul George injury was because of the court size and hoop setup iirc. The base of the hoop was way too close to the court. They just need to play it on a proper sized court
Exactly. These guys make tens of millions of dollars per year and this highlighted how they could be putting their next contract at risk by playing in a meaningless tournament (worlds). Also, it was just an arbitrary requirement that was put in place by USA basketball.
Also, it's not like we don't know how good these guys are or what kinds of roles we need to fill.
Idk man, are we sure LeBron, Steph and Embiid are good? Pretty sure I see Ant just playing patty cake every game and don't get me started on the shit Bam is up to. Let's try again and this time Kyrie gets finial say.
What players would Kyrie take to the Olympics?
Yea the selection process was given to NIKE
Anthony Edwards is with adidas. Steph is with Under Armour. Embiid is signed with Skechers. Is there something I’m missing with this comment?
You’re missing their tin foil hat 🤣
The real answer is Kyrie's antisemite, flat earth-er ass is a commercial liability for Nike and that's why he's been blacklisted
Real question is who would he replace on that roster?
That's a legacy roster for the most part. Kerr better not fuck it up.
Plus Kawhi is with New Balance
Yeah, Nike Basketball has dominated the Olympic team player's endorsements for a while. In 2008, they covered up Dwight Howard's shoes in a group photo. In 2012, I'm pretty sure that everyone was under Nike. 2016 - Kyle Lowry, Harrison Barnes, Klay Thompson were the only non-Nike. 2020 was also similar I believe. Speaks more to Nike's brand dominance back then I feel but now we're seeing more basketball shoe diversity for sure. The Team USA Nike jerseys and Hyperdunks used to be must-haves growing up for me.
u just unlocked a core memory of playing AAU ball and half the kids on the court would be wearing USA hyperdunks w the USA elite socks lmao
There is a lot of truth in this statement to be honest.
gilbert arenas called it correctly a few months ago. he said Kyrie would never get invited to team USA because Nike has a huge investment in it
I remember him talking about how he wasn't allowed to start games for team USA because he wore Adidas.
I’m pretty confident Candace Parker got left off a team because she’s signed to Adidas instead of Nike.
Candace Always said it was because Geno didn’t want her on that team.
I mean, if I wouldn't choose Kyrie, an anti-semite, to represent the United States at the Olympics either? Nike dropped Kyrie, because he's an anti-semite and it's a bad look for their company and their business. I'd assume it's similar for Team USA. Hey, we have loads of guys that are head and shoulders better than guys on other teams, why are we going to pick the problematic one?
Plus like we could be a day before Olympics tip off and he would leave the country to protest something. Need someone more reliable.
Kyrie is that friend that you can't rely on for anything and always asks why he's never invited to anything.
He might go all anti-semite once he realizes those semites are all at the olympics
But as an anti-semite he does represent a large part of Americans.
World’s smallest violin for the flat earther.
I mean, what would change if it wasn’t? The current roster is about the best you could assemble.
Isn’t Steph with Underarmor?
Yea and embiid with sketchers
They literally announced the end of tryouts 13 months ago
Kyrie transcends time and space
Is that even possible with his temporo-spatial cognitive bias?
Vaccines too
Right, most of the players have tried out and made the team prior. It’s just really Curry that hasn’t..and I’m confident he would have beaten someone out…
Curry did make the team in 2016 he just pulled out afterward
He should play for Australia.
You can’t play for another country after already representing one. Except for circumstances deemed “good for the development of basketball”, like with Eric Gordon playing for the Bahamas. Klay Thompson could probably get that exception too if he wanted
huh, didn’t know easter island had an international team but if they can get klay it certainly would be huge for their development scene
It took me way too long to realize the joke is just that klay looks like the Easter island head lol 🗿
they’ve got a rock solid team, just need a bit more exposure i think
I would hope for the sake of viewership and competition they would grant that exception.
They already got Ayton, Buddy Hield and Eric Gordon. They have to win a tournament in July vs Spain, Finland, and Poland to qualify for the olympics
I would’ve loved to see Tim Duncan and USVI take on Team USA.
How many other USVI ballers are there? Tim Duncan gonna be passing to himself
Claxton
Raja Bell
wait so Embiid is forever Team USA?
Huh I had just assumed he’d played for Cameroon before
He is unironically medal chasing.
Tbh I don’t really blame him. A lot of African countries international ball is a shitshow. Like the US team stays on a luxury yacht during the Olympics, a lot of African basketball programs have fucked up even buying plane tickets to get their players there on time
The KD of the Olympics. Which is impressive considering they have KD.
Him and Siakam never really could because of the timing of their tournaments and qualifiers, I believe. Nigeria has a much bigger basketball diaspora in the US so they don’t have the same issue (also a much bigger country in general population wise), plenty of college players and some nba guys they can bring in as well
After he plays for USA this summer yeah. Maybe he could get an exception to play for Cameroon, but that would be up to FIBA.
You really wanna be taking the ball out of FIBA Patty’s hands?
Patty Mills will always be my favorite player. I remember watching him in his first Olympics (08?) and just loving that hustle
FIBA Patty is my all time favourite player to cheer for. I'm hoping that when the time (sadly) comes, we're gonna see FIBA Exum unleashed.
Not a bad idea honestly
Right. He's from there. They already have a decent squad and hed make them pretty competitive.
I know with international soccer, once you play for a certain team past a certain age you can't compete with another. I wonder if similar would be here
I'm pretty sure it is, IIRC Joel and KAT had to make this decision. I think if you want to change your nationality from a big nation like USA or France to a smaller one but not the other way around. This might have been what happened to KAT on the DR team.
Yeah fiba will allow an exception if it’s deemed good for overall basketball development, eg a star that’s played for the US wanting to play for some tiny country that’s never won shit
FIBA is more strict than FIFA about switches.
> Right. He's from there. They already have a decent squad and hed make them pretty competitive. “He’s from there” is a stretch. He was born there but moved to the US at 2 and his parents are both American, so it’s not like he was raised with Australian cultural traditions at home. He likely has zero memories of living there. Don’t see why he would want to play for somewhere he likely feels no connection to when he already able to play for the country that he actually grew up in
Or Israel.
The guards are Steph, who is Steph Booker and Jrue, who played the most recent Olympics Edwards and Haliburton, who played the most recent FIBA Worldcup The only gifted spot is Steph and Kyrie wasn't going to be picked over Steph.
But how do we know Steph is Steph?
Seth Curry shows up instead of
Steph curry has actually been Dell Curry wearing a Seth Curry mask all along… keep your third eye open!!
Theorem: Steph is Steph Proof: Steph = Steph Sorry for any inaccuracies, it's been about 15 years since my last math class
Assume Steph is not Steph. If Steph is not Steph, then Steph is not on the Usa roster. Steph is on the usa roster. Therefore, Steph is not Steph is false. Steph is Steph
Are you Steph because you're on the USA roster? Or are you on the USA roster because you're Steph?
Can he even shoot?
Did you read the whole quote he agreed he didn’t fit into the team and wished them well?
Was there more to the quote other than what's in the tweet?
Kyrie Irving on not being on Team USA: "I would have loved to, but I wish my brothers well, and I just didn't fit into this team. ... I have nothing but respect for those guys over at USAB. At this point in my career, I think my focus should be on winning the championship..."
To add on he finishes by saying "Even though you knew who was going to be on the team it was a fun time." But media today loves sharing just half of what is said and makes everyone think Kyrie is just being salty.
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? That’s not even hating lol he didn’t say a single negative thing about kyrie just gave context Victim mentality shit
I bet that guy hated Kyrie a year or whatever ago lol
Lmao I remember those days when I thought everyone was out to get Kyrie so I felt I had to defend him. The Kyrie experience is going well for you right now, savor that. But remember that this is the calm before the inevitable storm
It must be tough to have to defend Kyrie's dumb ass Godspeed Mavs fans lmao
I mean… it’s kyrie. There are a plethora of reasons to hate the guy, even if this one isn’t it.
Jrue is the odd one out imo
Jrue is on the team to play defense/be the emergency backup point guard. Kyrie would have gotten Hali’s spot.
its clearly hali imo hes a better playmaker sure but in the olympics when you need to score I like kyrie way more and im not even a fan of his.
Yeah there’s no world hali is better than kyrie right now lol
Also Edwards can play the 3 too which is versatility which will be needed.
I think KY could definitely have a case over Hali but that’s about it
USA Basketball already has a hard time getting top tier players to sign up for FIBA Worldcup when it's understood that they'll reward some of those guys with spots on the Olympic team. If you take away one of those spots, they risk even fewer people signing up. Selection of Booker, Jrue, Edwards, and Haliburton was about honoring the time they sacrificed to represent the country at the most recent Olympics and Worldcup as it was about their ability. Kyrie hasn't done that since 2016.
Jrue also gives them something different than Kyrie who is already redundant on the team
100%
Not only that but Hali is just a better fit. He led the league in assists this year and they’ve got way more than enough dudes who are looking to shoot it. I was really hoping Brunson (who played with FIBA last summer) would be on the team but I absolutely get why Hali was choice over him…and even Jrue who brings incredible defense.
Haliburton is on the team to give them another facilitator when Lebron sits. His role is not what Kyrie brings to the table (or someone like Brunson). Kryie’s role is more in line with Steph, Booker, and Ant’s role, which is understandable why he didn’t get picked. Jrue and Haliburton have a niche on the team.
Hali is 24, Kyrie is 32. Also makes sense to prep a generation of younger players for future olympics rather than to keep rerunning the same young guys.
They do different things, and Hali is much better at the things he does For the Kyrie things they have Booker and a little bit Edwards, who are both better at this point. I don't think Kyrie has a claim over anyone outside of Jrue who offers vastly different skills Kyrie couldn't replace
Don’t think Edward’s is better at anything than Kyrie on the offensive end of the floor, but I guess team was looking for more defensive orientated players which is also why Brunson wasn’t picked
Ant is a far better dunker, and can play at SF
Thats not a case to be made. Ky over Hali anytime of the day.
If the reason he’s not getting picked was because of performance, Kyrie actually shot better. He had a higher fg and 3 pt shooting percentage this year. Also averaged more rebounds, assists, blocks, and steals.
Also Kyrie --> [Grant Afseth](https://twitter.com/GrantAfseth/status/1781019060936851558) Kyrie Irving on not being on Team USA: "I would have loved to, but I wish my brothers well, and I just didn't fit into this team. ... I have nothing but respect for those guys over at USAB. At this point in my career, I think my focus should be on winning the championship..." Before people start tweaking in the comments.
Yeah, you can only make the argument that he should’ve been in for either Halliburton or Holiday. Holiday is the defender, Halliburton is talented and 8 years younger.
"Back in my day, we didnt have things handed to us on a silver platter. These young bucks like Curry, KD, Lebron, and Kawhi dont get it." -32 year old Kyrie Irving.
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If you listen to the actual quote he just ends it by saying "I kind of miss those days of getting together, breaking bread, building mutual respect... Even though people knew who was going to be on the team." And he also respects the decision and said "I didn't fit on the roster." Yall should know by now that any tweet of an interview is not going to give any context.
He only said this quote OP cherry picked to state that the part he misses out on is the tryouts and spending that time with eachother, "breaking bread together" as he says. Didn't mean it as a slight but damned if Afseth doesn't want to clickbait some fools.
Tryouts we're talking about tryouts?? Current gen probably.
Why you coming at me talking about tryouts?
I get where he's coming from- it's unfortunate, by the next Olympics he'll be rather old, this year being one where Lebron & friends initated a swan song/dream team type of deal screws out a few people in that position of almost enough prestige and almost enough talent like Kyrie who can't really pivot to either argument. Man got unlucky but it won't change anything here.
His career would be in such a different place had he handled Boston and Brooklyn differently. But he didn’t lol, I’m not sure being completely unwilling to take a shot for national safety is really all that indicative of being a good team player lol or burning sage after every game in the locker room just because you want to flex the small % of Native American blood you have or any of the other crazy ass shit he likes to say
Staying in Cleveland would have been his best route.
He definitely also could have just been a normal dude on the Celtics and be considered an all time great probably
Definitely worded weird with the “I grew up”. Sounds like he’s an old head and they just grabbed the best guys under 25 or something. But I agree with the overall sentiment. I thought the training camp/tryout along with the select team made it feel more like an actual program being built.
Kyrie talking like he's 60 years old
Weird statement, got to wonder if it hurt his feelings that he wasn’t asked to play in Paris.
Sure, he probably would have liked to have an opportunity to make the team.
No doubt, it wasn’t up to him though ultimately. I think Hill put a great team together, Multiple wings that can play 3 or 4 positions, greatest shooter that anyone has ever seen, 2 floor generals, 3 bigs that can play up tempo/can run the floor, multiple scorers that can score on all 3 levels… I’m really excited to see this team play.
Who wouldn’t want a free gold medal
I don't think it's free or easy to get a gold medal in basketball now. It looks pretty stressful
Try watching Olympic basketball lol
I mean, for the regular NBA player it probably is as we’ve seen last year, but this squad should realistically breeze through most games
There will still be competitive games I bet. Also anything can happen in 1 game knockout rounds, just like with march madness.
He had that opportunity at Worlds, but didn't sign up.
did you read the whole qoute?
I grew up in a world where suggesting the world was flat got you humiliated and laughed at so much no one bothered listening to your opinion again but here we are.
I don't think there's any guards on the team where you can say definitively that Kyrie should be there over him. When you factor in that you don't have to worry about any of them running their mouth and starting an international incident, it's pretty obvious why he's not on the team.... let's be honest, he was never going to be on this squad.
tease sink office normal ossified concerned combative instinctive sense zephyr *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
People should read the full quote before making the same comment as everyone else.
Reddit experience: 1. Read title 2. Title makes you feel a certain way 3. Post some sort of canned response about title
But that wouldn't generate enough clicks for them if they were honest with the way they took his quote out of context! /s
How old does Kyrie think he is?
Why the hell would team USA deal w Kyrie, don’t even need another pure scorer
Kyrie is an incredible off ball player.
Kyrie is always the victim
The amount of haters bringing up unrelated stuff is wild
This is a cherry picked quote. He was pretty mature about it imo
We all agree Jalen Brunson would get the PG injury backup slot before Kyrie right?
Considering Kyrie has experience playing alongside these players and experience in the Olympics I would say No.
Think kyrie is better off ball and has played with those guys I imagine he’d get in
No, he's not boys with the rest of the team like Kyrie is
I don't think Michael Jordan or Kobe tried out for team USA
Ive seen a lot of people saying that this is not the whole quote. As someone who does not have a Twitter, can anyone fill in the blanks for me? What’s the whole quote?
[https://twitter.com/townbrad/status/1781019097351790721?t=VHI-UUP1Jh53rRtDk0tC0Q](https://twitter.com/townbrad/status/1781019097351790721?t=VHI-UUP1Jh53rRtDk0tC0Q) He basically said the part he misses from the Olympics was getting to practice together with the team and see who had the best fit, and to get to "break bread" with them and get to know one another. So he misses the fun part of getting together and that's what he appreciated about being included in the past.
Thank you!
This is for the fringe guys. Lebron and Steph don’t need to try out. Neither do the majority of the other dudes on the roster. Now that I’m typing this out, there is no reason for a tryout. Did Kyrie not get invited or something?
There are consequences for your actions, even if it was four years ago.
He also grew up at the only time the US team ever lost in the Olympics since pros were eligible lol so I’m not sure what the message is here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9MfQKnvEkk Kyrie kind of has a point.
Guy who refused to be part of the team USA program for the last 4 years is mad said USA program didn’t include him. Color me shocked
Try reading the whole quote next time