(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
On Monday, Team USA played its last exhibition ahead of the 2024 Olympics in Paris, France, with the Americans going toe-to-toe with the Germans in the final showdown in London, England.
Much like how Team USA struggled against a highly motivated South Sudan squad over the weekend, Germany came to play on Monday, as they gave LeBron James and company a run for their money before these games start to count next Sunday.
Unfortunately for Teams USA, head coach Steve Kerr and his coaching staff have been without Phoenix Suns superstar Kevin Durant for all five of these exhibition games, which spanned from Las Vegas, Nevada, to Abu Dabi and finally finished in London.
Despite not having Durant, the all-time leading scorer for Team USA, the Americans were able to finish with a perfect 5-0 record, even though Australia, South Sudan and Germany all made this star-studded team work in three out of the five games played.
Rachel Nichols of FOX Sports believes that Durant is a virtual “cheat code” when wearing a Team USA jersey and will be a game-changer for this team when he returns from dealing with a calf strain via DraftKings Network.
“He is a cheat code in international basketball,” Nichols said.
.@Rachel__Nichols says Kevin Durant is Team USA’s most effective weapon.
“He is a cheat code in international basketball.”
(Via @oddballhoops) pic.twitter.com/iS8EWVSix9
— DraftKings Network (@DKNetwork) July 22, 2024
With calf strains being tricky injuries and something that led to Durant tearing his Achilles in his last year with the Golden State Warriors a few years back, it comes as no surprise that Kerr is not rushing him to get back on the floor.
However, with the competition proving more challenging than expected, the Americans will need him on the floor once wins and losses start counting, so hopefully, he can be ready in less than a week.
The post Rachel Nichols Says 1 Team USA Player Is A ‘Cheat Code’ appeared first on The Cold Wire.