Kemba Walker says the current crop of players “are happy” more established NBA stars pulled out of Team USA’s training camp this summer.
Walker considers it a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to prove doubters wrong.
Donovan Mitchell adds that the squad will be playing with “more of a chip” on their shoulders during the FIBA World Cup.
Per NBC Sports Boston:
“I love basketball. I love to play. And what better opportunity to do that than to play for your country?” Walker said Monday after Team USA’s first day of training camp on the campus of UNLV.
“This is like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a lot of us. I think a lot of us are happy those guys pulled out. This is our chance, this is our chance to get on the big stage and showcase our talents. It’s a chance for us to do something new, to be a new-look team.”
Walker appreciates that players dropping out has opened the opportunity to play with a bunch of his new teammates. He knows how much it means to players like Smart and Jaylen Brown.
“This is USA Basketball, this is a huge achievement,” said Walker. “It’s a huge honor to be a part of this.”
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