U.S. senior men's national coach Mike Krzyzewki (middle) became the first American coach to win gold at the World Championship and Olympics. (GETTY IMAGES)

Coach Mike Krzyzewski recently visited with ESPN’s Mike & Mike Show and talked about 21-year-old phenom Kevin Durant and
the significance of winning a world championship.

Krzyzewski says winning a gold medal at the FIBA World Championships is a greater accomplishment than winning Olympic gold simply because of the competition. “It’s actually bigger because it’s worldwide and there are 24 countries instead of 12,” explained the Duke University head coach, who now holds the distinction of being the first coach in USA Basketball history to win gold at the FIBA Worlds (2010) and the Olympics (2008).

As for the star player of the 2010 World Championship team who carried the United States to an undefeated mark in Turkey, Coach K had nothing but high praise for the Oklahoma City Thunder superstar.

“I’m not sure a U.S. player in the last quarter century maybe performed better under pressure,” Krzyzewski said. “Usually you have two, three, four scorers that you depend on. For us, he was the guy that we depended on. For him to come up with almost 70 points in the final two games, what a magnificent performance from a great kid who is pure. And he’s really humble.

“He’s as good as anybody in the world right now as a basketball player.”

Durant broke Carmelo Anthony’s single-game scoring record set in 2006 with 38 points against Lithuania in the semifinals. Durant also established a new American record for most points for an entire tournament. His 205 points shattered Luther Burden’s mark of 182, which stood for 36 years.

Coack K firmly believes that the United States can remain the dominant team in FIBA play as long as defense is the focus.

“We are the most athletic team, and if we use that and our depth then we have an advantage,” he said. “The defense has got to be the calling card. Nobody in the world can play the defense that we can play if we put our minds to it. [Other countries] can shoot as well and they can run offense as well, but they can’t play defense as well.”

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Kevin Durant averaged 33 points per game in Team USA's final three games at the FIBA World Championship. He scored 28 in the final against Turkey. (FIBA)

Move over LeBron. Step aside D-Wade. Make room Kobe. Kevin Durant is coming fast and furious to join basketball’s Mt. Rushmore.

After leading the United States to a 81-64 victory over host nation Turkey in the 2010 FIBA final, the 21-year-old forward of the Oklahoma City Thunder accomplished something LeBron James and Dwyane Wade couldn’t do four years ago, which is win a World Championship.

By capturing basketball’s version of the World Cup, the Americans earned an automatic berth to the 2010 Olympics. It was the first FIBA title for the U.S. since 1994, ending a 16-year drought and reasserting itself as the most dominant team in the world.

The U.S. couldn’t have done it without Durant, who was named the MVP of the FIBA tournament voted by international media representatives at Istanbul’s Sinan Erdem Dome. He put an exclamation point to his first trip to the World Championship with a 28-point performance in the final against Turkey.

While his teammates struggled from the field (1-for-10 from 3-point range in the first half) early against Turkey, Durant was on point and was unfazed by the enormity of the stage. He converted five of nine 3-pointers in the first half and scored 20 of his team’s 42 points. The reigning NBA scoring champion made seven of 13 3-point shots and 10 of 17 field goals.

“He elevated. He was on a pretty high floor already but he went close to being in the penthouse,” U.S. head coach Mike Krzyzewski said of Durant, who averaged nearly 23 points per game for the tournament, but 33 the last three games.

“The beauty about Kevin is he’s pure. He’s not trying to do anything except play basketball and get better,” Krzyzewski added. “I love coaching him and he learned how to be a really great international player in the last five weeks which will help him be an even better NBA player. He’s very genuine. He’s a special guy and definitely a special player.”

The more you watch Durant and the more he convinces you he now deserves to be included in the conversation of “best player in the world.” The fact that he has embraced the role of go-to guy at the World Championship shows that, despite his age, he’s ready to challenge Kobe’s NBA title and LeBron’s MVP.

Former NBA star Steve Smith, now an analyst for NBATV, has dubbed Durant “Baby Ice” for having a little George Gervin in his game and possessing a very cool and calm demeanor. And the “Durantula” nickname came about because he’s freakishly long (6 feet 11 inches tall with a 7 feet 5 wingspan). I’m suggesting a third moniker: Clutch.

After averaging “just” 17 points in the preliminary round, Durant has turned it up in the knockout round, scoring 33 points against Russia in the quarterfinals and 38 against Lithuania. His 38-point outburst against Lithuania in the semifinals broke Carmelo Anthony’s single-game U.S. record set in 2006.

“He is so smooth, he makes it so dang simple. And the shots that he missed could have gone in. He could have had 60,” newly nominated FIBA Hall-of-Famer Cheryl Miller said of Durant, who set the tone in the semifinal game by scoring 12 of USA’s 14 points in the first five minutes of the game and finished with 24 points in the first half. He converted 14 of 25 shots from the field and also grabbed nine rebounds.

“When a guy is doing that well you have to keep getting him the ball. He just had an incredible scoring run,” said Krzyzewski, who predicted when the tournament started that he needs Durant to be the go-to guy and at some point Team USA will lean heavily on him when things get hot and heavy.

Coach K proved to be prophetic.

Durant turned it up a notch when the stakes were highest. Aside from being named MVP, he broke the American record for most points in a single game and for an entire tournament.

The humble superstar collected the MVP trophy and was also handed a one of a kind Tissot T-Touch Expertwatch by Francois Thiebaud, the president of FIBA Global Partners Tissot.

Durant was joined by Serbia guard Milos Teodosic, Turkey’s Hidayet Turkoglu, Lithuania’s Linas Kleiza and Argentina’s Luis Scola on the All-Tournament team.

Now that he has conquered the world, Durant sets his sights on conquering the NBA.

Watch out Kobe. Look out LeBron. The Durantula is coming.

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Marc Gasol, who had a solid year with the Memphis Grizzlies last season, won't have his older brother Pau at the 2010 FIBA World Championship but that shouldn't stop Spain from contending for the gold medal. (GETTY IMAGES)

The year 2010 has been very kind to Spain.

In June, Pau Gasol won his second NBA championship with the Lakers. A few weeks later, Rafael Nadal won his second Wimbledon title. In July, Alberto Contador captured his third consecutive Tour de France title and the Spanish soccer team won its first World Cup.

It has been a banner year for Spain so far, and the country’s great karma could continue at the 2010 FIBA World Championship in Turkey, which begins Aug. 28.

Despite not having its best player Pau Gasol – who has decided to skip the FIBA World Championship this summer to give his body some much-needed rest – Spain remains one of the favorites to capture the gold medal in Turkey because of three reasons: center Marc Gasol, Pau’s younger brother who is slowly blazing his own trail in the NBA; shooting guard Juan Carlos Navarro, the reigning Euroleague player of the year; and his Euroleague teammate point guard Ricky Rubio.

Both men gave the United States fits in last Sunday’s exhibition game in Madrid, a game narrowly won by the U.S. 86-85. Navarro had 20 points to lead Spain and Gasol had 17 points and had his way against the Americans in the low post.

For years, Marc Gasol, nicknamed “El Tanque,” has played in the shadows of his much celebrated brother. But the last couple of years, Marc has come into his own and had a breakout season with the Memphis Grizzlies last year.

The 25-year-old Barcelona native averaged career highs in points (14.6), rebounds (9.3) and field-goal percentage (58%) last season – his second as an NBA pro – and has become one of the central figures in the Grizzlies’ youth movement. The 7-foot-1, 270-pound big man is a much more physical player than his older brother. He could very well be the best post-up player at the World Championship in Turkey, and now is a good time to break out of his brother’s immense shadow.

Marc Gasol may not have his sibling on this year’s Spanish national team but he’ll have his basketball brethren with him, including veteran guard Navarro. Nicknamed “La Bomba” for his big-time long-range shots, Navarro has been a fixture on Spain’s national team for 10 years.

“For many years Juan Carlos and I have known each other and we are like brothers,” Marc Gasol told FIBA.com. The 30-year-old Navarro, a former member of the Memphis Grizzlies who led FC Barcelona to a Euroleague title last season and is the reigning Euroleague Final MVP.

“Being in the same room as Juan Carlos is like being with my brother Pau, because they are very similar,” Gasol added. “I have a lot of affection for Juan Carlos.”

Juan Carlos Navarro will captain Spain at the 2010 World Championship in Turkey.

Indeed, the camaraderie at Spain’s training camp appears to be good, with Rudy Fernandez and Rubio together like old times at DKV Joventut, and Felipe Reyes and Jorge Garbajosa also hanging out just as if they were with Real Madrid.

Spain is a close-knit group, the core of the squad has been together for at least four seasons and much of the roster remains the same when it won the gold medal at the 2006 World Championship. Navarro, the team captain, told FIBA.com that he has a good feeling about the squad. “Most of the group is the same as last year,” he said, referring to the team that took gold at last year’s EuroBasket. “We know each other well and the know the style of play.

“We must try to play like last year and have a mind to defend. Then with our quality in attack we have everything.”

With the injury to Jose Calderon, who appears to be out of the World Championship because of a leg injury, Rubio will assume the starting role at point. Rubio showcased his talents against the U.S. in the exhibition game earlier this week in Madrid. His length bothered the guards and his passing off pick-and-rolls exposed the big men. Rubio will make a huge impact at the World Championship, no doubt.

The rest of Spain’s starting lineup includes Navarro at shooting guard, Fernandez on the wing and Garbajosa and Marc Gasol in the frontcourt. Spain has a NBA-type roster that can match up against any team, including the United States. Its five starters took part in the 2008 Beijing Olympics (minus Pau, of course), losing to the United States in the gold-medal game, and nine of the 12 players on the squad are either playing in the NBA of was drafted by an NBA franchise.

Spain and the United States are obviously the two favorites at the World Championship, and Spain could have a slight edge because it has a much more experienced group and Team USA doesn’t not have a whole lot of size to match up with Marc Gasol in the middle.

But Navarro downplayed the importance of the highly anticipated matchup with the United States and didn’t discount the other teams in the tournament.

“Hopefully we can play them, as that would mean we have gone a long way in the championship, but now it is a bit early to talk about it,” he said. “There are many contenders. Argentina, the United States, Serbia, who had a great tournament last year, but it is too early to think about that now. We are only in the early stages of workouts and there is much work remaining.”

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Kevin Durant will be the leader of USA Basketball at the 2010 FIBA World Championship in Turkey, beginning Aug. 28. (GETTY IMAGES)

Not a single player from the 2008 U.S. national team will compete in the 2010 FIBA World Championship, so Team USA will have a brand new look.

If the 2008 U.S. squad – a group that included Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade – was nicknamed the Redeem Team, then the 2010 U.S. team should be branded the Rebuild Team.

USA Basketball president Jerry Colangelo and head coach Mike Krzyzewski will have their work cut out for them as they reconstruct the U.S. men’s national team that will not only represent the country in the World Championship starting on Aug. 28 in Turkey, but be the core of the squad that will participate in the 2012 Olympics in London.

To win the World Championship, USA Basketball must have the following:

1) Big, strong point guards. Because FIBA allows hand-checking in international competition, it is important to have ball-handlers who can handle heavy pressure and physical play.

2) Shooters. You can’t have enough of them on your roster. The international 3-point line is three feet shorter than the NBA line so NBA snipers should be able to feast on this advantage.

3) Versatile big men. European big men possess guard skills so you want your power forwards and centers to be able to guard out in the perimeter.

4) Physical and mental toughness. In a single elimination tournament, players who can rise above pressure are essential. Having Kobe Bryant on the 2008 Olympic team was key to winning gold in Beijing. You need rugged and tough-minded players to beat battle-tested teams such as Spain, Greece, Argentina, Russia and Croatia.

5) Zone busters. At the international level, zone defenses are not just a gimmick. It’s important to have players who can defeat a zone on offense and play a little zone on defense.

Center JaVale McGee and forward Jeff Green were cut last week and Rajon Rondo decided to withdraw from the team this week. Here’s the scouting report on Team USA:

GUARDS

Chauncey Billups, PG-SG: At 33, the Denver Nuggets point guard is the elder statesman of this group and his value will come off the floor, acting as an extra coach on the roster. Billups is also a clutch outside shooter, which always comes in handy during international competition. His championship pedigree is a luxury Coach K and the rest of the coaching staff should utilize, especially on a team loaded with 21-year-olds.

Derrick Rose, PG: To be an effective point guard at the international level, you must be able to be physical enough to handle hand checking on the perimeter and quick enough to dart through the zone defenses. Rose fits the mold. It would be interesting to see who Coach K will start, Rose or Billups, because during the scrimmage in Las Vegas Rose blended well with Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry, while Billups meshed well with Rajon Rondo.

Stephen Curry, PG-SG: Versatility will be a theme on this year’s U.S. team, and Curry is one of those guys who can play more than one position. The son of Dell Curry is a shooting guard in a point guard’s body. He can play both positions very well, but his forte is shooting the basketball. Curry is an absolute sniper; one of the best in the league. During his rookie season with the Golden State Warriors, he averaged 17.5 points per game and made 43% of his 3-point shots. Steph Curry is a pure shooter, make no mistake about it. He hould get plenty of open looks if he’s paired with Rose, who excels in the drive-and-kick game.

Stephen Curry made 43% of his 3-point shots as a rookie with the Golden State Warriors. Barring an injury, Curry should make the 12-man roster for Team USA. (GETTY IMAGES)

Russell Westbrook, PG: Though Westbrook doesn’t possess the long-range shooting of Billups or Curry, he makes up for it with his defense and incredible ability to get to the basket. During the scrimmages and the exhibition circuit, Westbrook hounded the other team’s point guards and forced a lot of turnovers and poor decisions. The OKC PG is one of the quickest players on the squad and he’ll be used as a situational player by Coach K.

Danny Granger, SG-SF: You can’t have enough shooters on the team, and Granger is one of the best in the NBA. The 6-foot-7 Indiana Pacers All-Star forward can also play some shooting guard, which affords Coach K more options. Granger didn’t have a particularly good camp in Las Vegas, but the coaching staff will give him every opportunity to make the roster. He redeemed himself with a better effort at the Nike World Basketball Festival.

Kevin Durant, SG-SF: Durant is the only sure thing to make the team. In fact, he might be named one of the team captains. With Kobe Bryant resting his knees and LeBron James and Dwyane Wade hosting parties in South Beach to celebrate their union, Durant is now the face of USA Basketball. The Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star and reigning NBA scoring champion has the game and the right mind-set to lead Team USA. During the week-long training camp in Las Vegas, Durant was easily the best player on the court.

Rudy Gay, SG-SF: Fresh off an offseason that proved to be very lucrative for the Memphis Grizzlies forward, Gay adds scoring, defense and versatility to the squad. Gay played well during the scrimmage in Las Vegas and at the World Basketball Festival in New York. His length (he’s got freakishly long arms) will come in handy on defense. Coach K has mentioned that he might use Durant and Gay at the 4 position to create some mismatches on offense.

Lamar Odom, PF: Odom not only brings NBA championship pedigree but he also brings plenty of international experience with his stint with Larry Brown’s Olympic team in 2004. Odom is one of only four players 6-10 and taller on the 15-man roster, and one of them is Durant, which tells you everything about the 2010 U.S. squad. So, because of the team’s lack of size, Odom should be a cinch to make the squad. And depending on certain matchups, Odom will be asked to play center.

Lamar Odom was part of the 2004 U.S. Olympic team that finished a disappointing third in Greece. (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Kevin Love, PF: Because of the dearth of big men in the U.S. camp, Love has a very chance to make the roster. Love is not very big (he’s listed at 6-10, but probably closer to 6-8) but he’s a wide body (250 pounds) who carves out a lot of space in the paint. Love’s game may not be as fluid or as versatile as Odom’s, but he’s the type of player who can thrive at the international level. He’s tough, he’s gritty, he’s physical and has a nose for rebounds.

Tyson Chandler, C: The U.S. currently has just two 7-footers on the roster and Chandler is one of them. So, there is no way Coach K will cut Chandler because that leaves the U.S. extremely vulnerable inside. Chandler may not possess great offensive skills, but he makes his money on the defensive end. He’s a very good shot-blocker and rebounder, and is battle tested. He participated in the Tournament of the Americas in 2007 and actually played well. Chandler also adds a veteran presence in the locker room. Expect TC to be Team USA’s starting center at the World Championship.

Andre Iguodala, SG-SF: Iguodala could be used as one of the defensive stoppers for Coach K. The Sixers’ leading scorer can be a very good perimeter defender, and brings more versatility to the squad. If anything, Iguodala could be used as insurance policy in case Granger doesn’t pan out. Iguodala is not a pure shooter, but he can occasionally make a 3-point shot. But his ability to crowd people with his speed, length and athleticism will be his role for Team USA.

Eric Gordon, SG: Gordon has made it extremely tough to cut him because he has been so effective during practices, scrimmages and exhibitions. Gordon is a natural shooting guard and has shown that he can make wide-open threes as well as take the pounding inside on off dribble penetration.

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Memphis Grizzlies guard O.J. Mayo was among four players cut from Team USA. (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

USA Basketball President Jerry Colangelo and head coach Mike Krzyzewski have trimmed the U.S. roster to 15 players, which meant four players were cut.

Those who were left off the 15-man roster were guards Tyreke Evans and O.J. Mayo, forward Gerald Wallace and center JaVale McGee were cut. Evans could have made it the final 12-man roster that will represent Team USA at the FIBA World Championships in Turkey, but he missed most of training camp with a sprained ankle. The 2010 NBA Rookie of the Year will get another chance in two years for the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

Because Team USA was already loaded with guards, there was simply no room for a guy like Mayo. The Memphis Grizzlies shooting guard doesn’t really have a specialty and is more of a volume shooter. Coach K and his staff chose to keep shooting guards Eric Gordon, Danny Granger and Andre Iguodala instead.

Wallace could have filled the role of defensive stopper, but his limited offensive skills probably kept him from wearing the USA colors. Coach K and Co. didn’t want to sacrifice a top-notch guard for a small forward with limited range, and Wallace would have been overmatched at power forward.

McGee was a late invite to training camp in Las Vegas after Amare Stoudemire didn’t bother to show up and Robin Lopez has not completely healed from his back injury. Then, two days into camp, forward David Lee dislocated his finger and had to drop out, which gave McGee a glimmer of hope to make the roster.

Despite playing well in the scrimmage showcase at Thomas & Mack Center, McGee was let go as Coach K chose to keep Tyson Chandler and Brook Lopez, two players with a little more playing experience than the 22-year-0ld Wizards center. But the future is very bright for McGee, who dominated the Las Vegas Summer League and should be the Wizards starting center heading into this season. Lopez didn’t particularly play well in the scrimmage, but the 7-foot center is one of the few legit post-up players in camp and the team desperately needs big bodies.

“We do want to see how Brook Lopez looks after two weeks of getting himself in shape,” Colangelo told reporters. “He knows he struggled, he’s disappointed in his performance, but he wants this opportunity and when somebody has that kind of an attitude you’re going to give him a little bit of rope.”

Named as finalists for the USA World Championship Team include: Chauncey Billups (Denver Nuggets); Chandler (Dallas Mavericks); Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors); Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City Thunder); Rudy Gay (Memphis Grizzlies); Gordon (Los Angeles Clippers); Granger (Indiana Pacers); Jeff Green (Oklahoma City Thunder); Iguodala (Philadelphia 76ers); Lopez (New Jersey Nets); Kevin Love (Minnesota Timberwolves); Lamar Odom (Los Angeles Lakers); Rajon Rondo (Boston Celtics); Derrick Rose (Chicago Bulls); and Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City Thunder).

Team USA will take a short break before reopening camp on Aug. 9. The team plays an exhibition game on Aug. 15 against France at Madison Square Garden in New York. It’s the first of four exhibition games for Team USA before it leaves for Turkey. USA Basketball doesn’t need to announce its 12-man roster until a day before the World Championship, which begins Aug. 28.

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