Without Kobe and LeBron, Durant willing to lead US
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Kevin Durant, the youngest NBA scoring title winner, has pledged he will represent the United States at the World Championships in Turkey in August.
Although several NBA stars, including LeBron James, are likely to be absent, Durant declared his will to fight for the US in an interview after a Great Wall training camp during his China tour last Friday.
"Of course, I will fight for my country without any hesitation. I can't wait to play at the World Championships in August for Team USA, it's a great honor for me and I will do what I can do," the 21-year-old, who averaged 30.1 points this season, said.
"We have a lot of big opponents to face if we want to win the title, such as France, Spain and Turkey. Honestly, I haven't watched the international games for a long time, it will be a tough journey for sure," said Durant.
With star players including Beijing Olympic champion team members James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh becoming free agents this summer, Team USA's recruitment process has hit some problems and will obviously affect the side's bid to win its first world title in 16 years.
To make matters worse, Kobe Bryant announced he would undergo surgery on his right knee after the NBA Finals and would probably be unavailable for Turkey.
Those absences will put more responsibility on the shoulders of the team's young guns but Durant says he is prepared to step up to the task.
"I will be a leader of the national team. I have always been a leader during my career, so I am really looking forward to lead Team USA to fight for the championship in Turkey," said Durant, who showed his leadership qualities this NBA season by leading the Oklahoma City Thunder into the NBA playoffs for the first time.
Durant and teammate James Harden hosted a training camp at foot of the Great Wall in Juyongguan with 40 high school players.
"Playing basketball at the base of the Great Wall was fantastic. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be participating in something like that. The kids here are pretty talented. As long as they train hard to improve their skills they will become greater players in the future," said Durant, who climbed the Great Wall after the event.
The Great Wall camp climaxed a three-day stop in Beijing of Durant's China tour, which also included visits to Chengdu and Shanghai.
The tour, supported by his sponsor Nike, focused on empowering youth, community service, hard training, grassroots basketball activities and also the promotion of the Nike Zoom KD II China edition.
