2010 FIBA World Championship: Team USA Conquers Turkey, Wins More Than Gold

September 12th, 2010 by Robert Kleeman Leave a reply »
As Kevin Durant, Team USA's all-time leading scorer in a World Championship, headed for the bench one last time, his smile stretched from Istanbul to Oklahoma City. That contagious euphoria spread from Kevin Love and Derrick Rose all the way to Danny Granger.

Durant embraced Mike Krzyzewski and moments later cradled his tournament MVP trophy. His 22-point average for the tournament made him a slam-dunk pick for the award. When his teammates turned to him Sunday night to carry the offense, the 2007 NBA Rookie of the Year responded with 28 points.

These NBA toddlers had grown up so fast and come so far in six weeks. The weight of the expectations sometimes beleaguered them. On other occasions, it lifted them to greater heights. As the final horn signaled the joyous confirmation of the 81-64 win, the 12 men who had brought glory to themselves and a nation danced in a fitting circle.

Finally, they could celebrate the trenchant conclusion of a torturous 16-year wait. Krzyzewski and Jerry Colangelo collaborated to tackle a reclamation project three tournament ...

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