The Warriors trio on Team USA faced some adversity in front of a contentious Staples Center crowd in Los Angeles.
Kevin Durant and Draymond Green were booed mercilessly at Team USA faced off against China. Klay Thompson didn’t get the same degree of resentment, but that’s to be expected.
Green is known throughout the league as a fiery antagonizer, and that reputation was somewhat cemented off the court with his legal troubles regarding his confrontation in East Lansing, Michigan with a former Michigan State football player in early July.
Durant is still dealing with the aftermath of leaving the Thunder to join the Warriors, and a lot of fans around the NBA are bitter and frustrated at that decision.
Thompson doesn’t provoke any animosity through his personal antics, and any booing he received was simply guilt by association.
Clearly the crowd’s vitriol didn’t affect their performances, though. Team USA commandingly beat China 106-57.
Durant finished with a team high 19 points, continuing his run as Team USA’s most reliable scorer. He lead the team in scoring in their first exhibition win over Argentina, and was Team USA’s leading scorer over the course of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.
As Team USA continues to play these exhibition games in preparation for the Rio Olympics beginning on August 5, the next game on the schedule is especially significant for Durant.
On July 26, Team USA will be playing China again, but this time at Oracle Arena. It’ll be a chance for Warriors fans to witness Durant playing in Oakland.
Any booing that Durant received while playing in Los Angles will seem like a distant memory come Tuesday.
While the negative energy hasn’t affected Durant’s performance, the warm reception he gets at Oracle Arena can still serve as a reassuring signal that all this drama will be worth it once Warriors fans get a chance to embrace his talent.