Jason Beede: Warriors coach Steve Kerr told reporters that #Magic forward Paolo Banchero “was right in the mix till the last second” to join Team USA for the 2024 Paris Olympics after the FIBA World Cup: “He’s such a talented guy and versatile,” Kerr said. “Great young guy.”
Olympics Rumors
At the end of episode 2, Kevin Durant started breaking down talking about what basketball and his family meant to him. How did you manage to get that genuine of a moment? Jake Rogal: That was one of my favorite moments of the whole process. So, the day after the Serbia game where he went off in the Group stage, I was on Twitter and I was looking at what he was doing, and I saw interactions with people he was having on Twitter. I clicked on the Twitter handles, and it was a random guy from Dallas who had 200 followers, and I clicked on another one and it was a random person from Arizona, and he had 100 followers. I was thinking why? The day after, you’re in Paris, you’re in a tournament, you just had an amazing game. Why are you spending time addressing some of these people? I honestly thought it would be a funny question, so I asked him what I just said to you with the Twitter guys, why are you spending time with these guys? And Kevin said, “How many Twitter followers do I have?” I was like I’m not sure, and he said, “28 million, I’m not trying to get these people a platform, I’m trying to get my voice out there by responding to something they’re saying so I can make a point. So really I’m using them to get my voice heard. The game means so much to me and we’re here in Paris and we’re seeing all these people, and this game means so much to all these people.” And he started to get emotional about it, his tears were over how much he cares about basketball. I was shocked when he started to get emotional, and I was happy because that’s a good thing for people to see. It makes you understand him a lot more.
With the Joel Embiid saga and the French crowd booing him when he played, was that something you guys thought about including or another one of those instances you felt didn’t fit your storyline? Jake Rogal: That was a compelling story, and Joel’s backstory is amazing. We wanted to be respectful to every player, so we met with everybody and we said, ‘How much do you want us to be around, how much are you comfortable with us being around?’ And I think Joel hadn’t been to the Olympics before and he really wanted to take it in, and as much as you want to get the guys on your show, these guys are humans, and you want to make sure you’re letting them experience that. If he never plays in the Olympics again, the last thing you want him to remember is this annoying documentary crew that was in his face for two weeks. You want him to remember the games, his family, his kids, and all that. Pretty early on you can feel their vibe, like ‘Hey man, I just want to enjoy this.’ That’s all you really need to hear, you don’t want to pester them or badger them. The story is very compelling and Joel is an awesome dude and he has a great story that will eventually be told one day.
Any of the other players you were surprised with how welcoming they were? Jake Rogal: Bogdan Bogdanovic. He was awesome, into the project. The Serbian team is tough because there’s a language barrier there, and also because of the tone Coach Pesic sets. It’s pretty serious. Bogdan was able to let loose with us and let us in, which was very cool. On the Canadian side, Dillon Brooks was really awesome. You hear all these things about him being a villain, and you see him on the court annoying other players, but with us he was very cool, really nice, let us into a dinner with his family who were awesome. All the coaches were amazing. Steve Kerr is incredible. He makes you feel like you’ve known him for 20 years. You never feel like you’re being annoying or imposing, which is a feeling you might have.
3w
4w
Santiago Aldama thinks Spain has a shot at gold at 2028 Olympics
About the Spanish national team. You said on Media Day that you would like to win Olympic gold in Los Angeles 2028. Do you really think the team has what it takes to achieve that? Santi Aldama: 100%. I mean, that’s why we play—for the Olympic gold. There are still almost four years to go, but that’s why we take it step by step. And I really believe we can. In the end, we are a super competitive team. It’s clear that there is a generational transition happening, but I think that within that process, we have to be as competitive as possible and give our all every day. And I don’t see a reason why we can’t compete for it there.
28 Jan
Kevin Durant, Devin Booker to Grant Hill on 2028 Olympics: I'm there!
NBA TV: Grant Hill: “Make sure you guys answer your phone in 4 years [for Team USA at the 2028 Olympics]!” Kevin Durant & Devin Booker: “I’m there!” 👀
Draymond Green: I’ll be 100% honest. I would flex my muscle a little bit—I got two of them things—but I’ll keep it real. I’m not a part of some of the greatest Olympic teams of all time. I got on my first Olympic team because some guys didn’t want to go due to the Zika virus in Brazil. A lot of guys didn’t want to go. I’m like, “Oh, yeah, you’re going to have to roll with me.” So, I’m not going to sit here and act like one of my Olympic teams could compete. I’m looking at this team list, and no, I’m not even going to do that. We had a good team—a really good team—but I’m not sure we could compete with this team
