It's about the Olympic team a how important it was that Damian was the first to commit to it. Then it talks about how his recruiting other superstars was crucial to getting others to commit. It shows how much respect he has around the league and only bolsters the importance of keeping him happy in Portland. It also gives me some hope that he might someday use that influence to successfully recruit free agents to come here.
I’m really looking forward to seeing Dame in a position to be at the center of focus for Team USA. No doubt that he’s going to be the lead PG and will be running the offense. It will be interesting to see how Pop uses him.
If I knew him I might. But he seems like a pretty good guy. There are a few members I would love to set up, though.
He was joking. If I had ESPN+ I would post the article. I would love to read it if you don't mind posting it.
For the record, the only place that has ever complained about their articles being posted in this forum was Comcast/NBC Sports NW and they went to the Blazers about it instead of anyone here. It was a little odd. Looks like they won't have to worry about that anymore.
Many players and coaches vowed to never do it again. The Orlando, Florida, bubble erected last summer and fall was mentally taxing, lonely and seemingly endless -- which put USA Basketball in a challenging position. As they set to construct a roster over the past two months, the rules outlined for the Tokyo Olympics were revealed to be almost as restrictive as the restarted 2019-20 NBA season: no family or friends, confinement mostly to housing areas when not practicing or playing, no restaurants or night life. The International Olympic Committee would also be testing for recreational drugs like marijuana, which the NBA had abandoned. Despite all of that, despite another abbreviated offseason, Team USA is loaded with All-Stars who pledged commitment for six weeks. How did managing director Jerry Colangelo, national team director Sean Ford and head coach Gregg Popovich do it? "Life," Colangelo said, "is about relationships." Sometimes it's about mending relationships. One of the first players to commit was Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard, who let go of old scar tissue. Lillard is still bitter about what happened in 2014 when he was the final cut before Team USA went to Spain for the World Cup, sources said. Lillard felt he had secured a spot on the roster that year after talking to then-head coach Mike Krzyzewski, but the team pivoted and kept an extra center. The Blazers' star said all the right things publicly, but the decision burned him for years. It played a part when he backed out of competing for the 2016 Olympic team, sources said, though he was also dealing with plantar fasciitis at the time. With a new coach to play for, Popovich, and knowing this could be a last chance at the Olympics, Lillard played an important role in gaining momentum toward building out the roster. "When we talk to players about committing to the team, one of the things they always want to know is who else is committed," Colangelo said. "Lillard was one of the first and it was crucial." So was getting Kevin Durant, who was also one of the first on board. The message Durant made clear to USA Basketball leadership and his teammates was that after missing almost two years due to a right Achilles tear suffered in 2019, he wanted to take advantage of every opportunity he could. Durant has been loyal to Team USA, playing at the 2010 Worlds and winning gold in 2012 and 2016. "I met Kevin in 2007 at the Final Four after his freshman year at Texas and I told him I wanted him to come to our training camp that summer," Colangelo said. "He was wide-eyed then about the opportunity. And all these years later and everything he's accomplished, he's never lost that great love to play with us. He's had a lot of great success with USA Basketball, and I think playing in Tokyo was something he really wanted." Lillard and Durant began working alongside Popovich and Colangelo in recruiting players and consulting on how the roster would be put together, sources said. Lillard began talking to other players who were on the fence about committing as May and June unfolded. USA Basketball assembled a list of 57 players under consideration for the team back in March. But 10 to 12 were out because of injuries, including Los Angeles Lakers stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Others had concerns over contract status. Lillard has a close relationship with Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green, who had been on the 2016 gold-medal-winning team at the Rio Olympics. Green joined Lillard as one of the first to sign on. Also early to commit was Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal, who had a conflict with a family wedding but pledged to go to his first Olympics. Lillard was also in communication with Boston Celtics wing Jayson Tatum, who put off his decision on Team USA for some time after the season ended to evaluate his offseason priorities. Tatum was on the 2019 World Cup team that finished a disappointing seventh, in part because Tatum sprained his ankle in pool play. When it was clear how the team was shaping up, Tatum's uncertainty faded and he committed, sources said. Colangelo said Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker was also one of the first to say yes, even though his team is in the playoffs and the anticipated deep run and Tokyo trip would further compress his summer. Unlike in recent years, including 2019 when Team USA dealt with dozens of decommitments, players and agents of top players started lobbying to get them on the roster. Team director Ford kept in constant communication with agents. Some players were told they wouldn't make the roster, while others had to wait for veterans such as Chris Paul, Stephen Curry, Paul George, Jimmy Butler and Kyle Lowry to make decisions. Popovich reached out to players but wasn't overbearing, multiple sources said, picking his spots of when to initiate discussions and when to close. One of the players Popovich reached out to was Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love, who has played only 103 games over the past three seasons due to various injuries. Love's reputation in the league isn't great at the moment, not just because of the injuries but for several on-court outbursts of frustration during the Cavs' slow and methodical rebuild. Getting versatile players and shooting was the top priority during roster construction. Love checks both boxes and has the experience of a gold-medal run in 2012 in London. Interest from Popovich was a strong vote of confidence at this point in Love's career. And after consulting with the Cavs and getting their enthusiastic support, Love said yes. Detroit Pistons forward Jerami Grant has been working out daily at a facility in his hometown of Washington, D.C., and eagerly wanted to make the roster. Coming into the week, Ford had let Grant know he was one of three or four players being considered for the last spots after Brooklyn Nets guard James Harden withdrew because of a hamstring injury. Colangelo called Wednesday morning with the official offer, which Grant immediately accepted. When he told his mother, Beverly, that he had made the Olympic Team, her tears quickly followed. A factor in the choice was Durant and Lillard lobbying Popovich on Grant's behalf, sources said. In the end, having the legendary coach and his willingness to be collaborative with the team's superstars might've been the most powerful recruiting tool Team USA had working. "Pop matters," a USA Basketball source said. "Guys really want to play for him."
Who would do that!!?? Who would go to the Blazers about anything that happens on THIS place. What type of person does this?
