Kevin Durant Compliments Staples Center Crowd, Doesn't Realize He Got Booed
With Kevin Durant and Team USA preparing for the 2016 Olympics, the squad made a stop in Los Angeles to play a tuneup game against China at the Staples Center on Sunday night.
As the host, Team USA clearly had home-court advantage. But not everyone on the team was greeted warmly. Just ask Durant. Actually, you can ask him, but he might not be aware of the reception he got.
After posting 19 points in a 106-57 victory over China, Durant had nothing but kind words to say about the Los Angeles crowd.
"The crowd here tonight was great, so hopefully it's just as good at Oracle," the 2013-14 NBA MVP said, per Greg Beacham of the Associated Press.
It's nothing new for a player to say the home fans were great. However, it's not often that a player is complimentary of a crowd that booed him. The Golden State Warriors forward was unaware the Staples Center crowd gave him a rude welcome until reporters informed him.
"No, I didn't hear it," Durant said when told he had been booed during pregame introductions. "I did? Huh. I didn't hear it."
The good news for Durant is he should receive the biggest ovation of the night at Team USA's next game, which will be his first at the Warriors' Oracle Arena since he signed with the team.
