Kevin Durant says Team USA can provide 'sense of unity' for country
Warriors star says he hopes country can look to team as source of togetherness
By
Matt Moore
•
1 min read
As protests and violence continue across the United States as part of an ongoing conflict over racial divides, more than ever players are speaking out on political matters. Carmelo Anthony recently called for athletes to take a larger voice in these conversations, and the Knicks star is organizing a town hall meeting on race in Las Vegas during Team USA's preparation for the Olympics.
In the midst of that conversation, the question of where Team USA, comprised of 12 black NBA players, fits into the discussion is compelling. The San Jose Mercury News spoke to several players about where they see the team's role in the cultural environment, and their feelings were best summarized by Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant's comments about unity.
"We're going through a tough time right now, in the country and also around the world, and we can provide that sense of togetherness and unity," new Warriors star Kevin Durant said. "Obviously, we definitely want to win a gold medal. That's the most important thing for us as basketball players. But when we look at the big picture of things, we want people to see how much we love each other, see how much we love being around each other. ... We want that united feel when you watch us play. I think having these great group of guys together, you'll see that."
Source: Thompson: Team USA hoping to unite a divided country - Mercury News.
Team USA gets set to take on the world in August just as the WNBA fined several players Thursday for wearing "Black Lives Matter" t-shirts. Team USA president Jerry Colangelo told the Undefeated this week that Team USA will not seek to censor or restrict the players speaking out on controversial subjects as he feels it would be "inappropriate."
