Kevin Durant Says There Were ‘Better Candidates’ for Olympic Roster Than Caitlin Clark

During a recent appearance, Durant stated, “I think she’s going to definitely be on one of these teams going forward but right now, there were better candidates out there.”

NBA champion Kevin Durant supports USA Basketball’s choice to not include Caitlin Clark on their squad for the Olympics.

During a conversation with the Wall Street Journal’s Emma Tucker at Journal House during The Cannes Lions Festival, Durant, 35, stated there were “better candidates” for the roster. The 22-year-old’s exclusion from the women’s basketball team competing in the 2024 Paris Olympics sparked intense debate among fans and analysts.

When questioned about the Indiana Fever rookie, the Phoenix Suns player stated that he believes there are still “proper steps you’ve got to take in our world to be considered an Olympian.”

Durant said, along with his Boardroom colleague Rich Kleiman, “I think she’s going to definitely be on one of these teams going forward but right now, there were better candidates out there.”

WNBA players Diana Taurasi, Brittney Griner, Sabrina Ionescu, and Kelsey Plum have all been chosen for Team USA’s 2024 squad.

In addition, he expressed admiration for the WNBA and their efforts in “showcasing” the first overall pick. She is being brilliantly showcased by the WNBA. Every other day, I watch her games on ESPN,” Durant remarked.

“I see her in conversations about whatever topic they’re discussing; there’s a lot of discussion about the game right now, so that’s good too,”

LeBron James, Steph Curry, and Durant, who will play for Team USA in Paris, said that Clark should “continue to keep showing up every day” as she adjusts to life in the NBA.

He mentioned Las Vegas Aces two-time MVP A’ja Wilson when he said, “I think as she continues to keep getting better as a player, her production on the court gets better, then the league will grow along with some of the other women who are coming in.”

Durant continued, “There are just so many amazing players in our league that Caitlin has helped bring attention to, and that will help the league grow over time.”

Speaking to reporters on June 9, Clark expressed her satisfaction with the selection following the unveiling of the Olympic roster.

According to ESPN, Clark stated, “I’m excited for the girls that are on the team.” “I am aware that this is the world’s most competitive squad, and I also understand that my inclusion on the team or exclusion from it might have happened in either scenario. I will be cheering them on to the gold. It will be enjoyable to watch the Olympics because I grew up watching them,” the Fever guard added.

To be honest, I’m not disappointed. It’s a dream, but it offers me something to strive for. I hope to be able to visit there someday. It’s just a bit more motivation, in my opinion. You recall that. Hopefully, I can be there when the next four years roll around.

‘DWTS’ star, mocked as orphan for spotty skin, dies at 29, – adoptive mom dies next day

The ballet world is mourning the death of Dancing with the Stars Michaela Mabinty DePrince, an inspirational ballerina who beat staggering odds to become one of the world’s most famous dancers.

Michaela, an orphan from war-torn Sierra Leone, was a dancer with the Boston Ballet who gained widespread notoriety after starring in the 2011 documentary First Position. She died September 10 at only 29.

Adding to the family’s tragic loss, Michaela’s adoptive mom – who rescued Michaela from the filthy shelter where she was told she was “too ugly” to find a family – died only 24 hours later.

After her father was brutally killed in war-torn Sierra Leone and her mother died from fever, four-year-old Michaela Mabinty DePrince was abandoned by her uncle in a shelter where staff every day tried to break her spirit.

Known then as “Number 27” a young Michaela had little hope of finding a family as she had vitiligo, a condition that causes patches of skin to lose pigmentation.

The young girl, called “the devil child” because of her patchy skin, was told repeatedly that she was too ugly to be picked.

“We were all ranked from the most favored to the least, and I was at the very bottom for being rebellious and having a skin condition called vitiligo, which produces white freckles on my neck and chest,” Michaela said, adding she slept on a grass sleeping mat with “Number 26.”

Aside from the vomit-stained nightgown she was wearing, all she had was a magazine, which according to Glamour had (literally) blown onto her face. And on the cover was a ballerina en pointe – a dancer supporting all her body weight on the tips of her toes.

“The dancer looked beautiful and happy, that’s what caught my eye,” Michaela tells Glamour. “I wanted to be happy.”

And the crumpled old photo of the ballerina was the first thing she handed Elaine DePrince, who took her to her new home in New Jersey.

“There was so much love right away,” said Michaela, who over the next two decades would be the prima ballerina on the cover of magazines. “I had never been surrounded by something like that.”

‘My life is proof’

Michaela’s passion for dancing was ignited at a young age, and she pursued her dreams with remarkable dedication.

In 2011, Michaela became one of the stars of First Position, a documentary that followed six gifted dancers leading up to the competition for a place in the prestigious American Ballet Theatre’s Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School of Ballet (JKO)

She not only earned a spot but was also awarded a scholarship to study at JKO.

The same year the award-winning documentary was released, Michaela also appeared on Dancing with the Stars.

“My life is proof that no matter what situation you’re in, as long as you have a supportive family, you can achieve anything,” Michaela said.

In 2012, the talented ballerina joined the renowned Dance Theatre of Harlem, where she continued to shine as a rising star. Her exceptional talent and grace later led her to the Dutch National Ballet, where the War Child Ambassador further established herself as a formidable presence in the ballet world.

While she was living in Amsterdam and training for The Nutcracker, she received a call, inviting her to travel to New Orleans and dance in Beyonce’s hour-long video, Lemonade, which was released in 2016.

Speaking with the Wall Street Journal of meeting the pop sensation, Michaela said, “She walked up to me and said, ‘It’s such an honor to have you here.’ I was really cheesy and said, ‘The honor is mine.’ I was on cloud nine.”

‘Beacon of hope’

On September 10, her family released a heartbreaking message about the principal soloist with the Boston Ballet.

“Rest in Power,” the post starts about the dancer who died on September 10. “With pain in our hearts, we share the loss of star ballerina Michaela Mabinty DePrince, whose artistry touched countless hearts and whose spirit inspired many, leaving an indelible mark on the world of ballet, and beyond.”

The Facebook post describes Michaela as an inspiration who “stood as a beacon of hope for many, showing that no matter the obstacles, beauty and greatness can rise from the darkest of places.”

The cause of her death has not yet been released.

Mom ‘spared the pain’

Only 24 hours after Michaela’s sudden death, her doting adoptive mom Elaine DePrince died on September 11 “during a routine procedure in preparation for a surgery.”

A family statement on Facebook explains that at the time of Elaine’s death, she was unaware that her daughter had died.

 “As unbelievable as it may seem, the two deaths were completely unrelated. The only way we can make sense of the senseless is that Elaine, who had already lost three children many years ago, was by the grace of God spared the pain of experiencing the loss of a fourth child.” The message continues, “What the family is going through right now is truly unimaginably painful. Grieving two family members who died within a 24-hour period is tragic and devastating. We continue to ask for privacy…”

Rest in peace Michaela and Elaine. Please share your thoughts with us and then share this story so we can all send a lot of love to the family and friends of this mother-daughter duo.

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