Team USA Director Has Blunt Comment About Kevin Love

The decision to include Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love on this year’s Olympic roster certainly raised some eyebrows around the basketball community. But, that controversy has since been squashed.

After two poor performances in exhibition game losses, the 32-year-old veteran withdrew from the team — citing a nagging injury issue from the 2020 season.

Team USA director Jerry Colangelo recently explained the Love situation, admitting he may have made a “mistake” in naming him to the roster.

“I didn’t think Kevin Love was going to play. I wasn’t even sure he had much left to play,” Colangelo said, per ESPN’s Brian Windhorst. “He reached out to us and said he was in shape and said he felt he owed us. And on the basis of that, we’re looking at someone with international experience who at one time was a heck of a rebounder and could still shoot the ball. You know, being like a 12th man on a roster.

“Well, it didn’t work out. He wasn’t in shape. And he was way behind as it turned out. So you move on. Call it a mistake. Call it giving someone an opportunity. Someone who had equity with us.”

Love has been involved with USA basketball since 2007 when he was just 18 years old. With a 27-0 record on Team USA, the double-double machine helped the organization to gold medals in the 2010 FIBA World Cup in Istanbul and the 2012 Olympics in London.

After suffering a calf injury that limited him to just 25 contests this year, Love notched the worst season of his 13-year NBA career in 2020-21 — averaging just 12.2 points and 7.4 rebounds per game on a struggling Cavs squad.

Following his withdrawal earlier this month, Love was replaced by an equally controversial roster addition: Denver Nuggets center JaVale McGee.

After their shaky exhibition start in Las Vegas, Team USA continued those struggles in Tokyo. Falling to France in the games’ opening contest then blowing out Iran by 54 points, the U.S. squad faces a consequential matchup with the Czech Republic on Saturday.

A win would guarantee their trip to medal round.

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