Dein erstes Forum » that elusive gold medal, leaving that honor to W

LAS VEGAS -- The family vacation was planned months in advance. As soon as free agency was over, DeAndre Jordan was heading to a resort in Jamaica where -- theoretically -- he would put his phone in airplane mode, surround himself with family and friends, and all the noise would stop.That was the plan, anyway.If you followed NBA free agency in the slightest last July, you know what actually happened. Three days after committing to the Dallas Mavericks, Jordan had a stunning change of heart and returned to the Los Angeles Clippers.In the time it took to fill out a customs form on the flight to Jamaica, Jordan became a villain in Dallas, an accidental hero in Los Angeles and the butt of jokes on late-night talk shows, social media and sports talk radio.He tried to keep his phone off, but there was no escaping the fallout.One day as he was sitting on the beach, he got a text from Kevin Durant. Theyd been close since high school when Durant tried to persuade Jordan to attend the University of Texas with him. Jordan instead chose Texas A&M, so they drifted apart for a few years. Eventually they reconnected during summer workouts. And in the past few years, theyd grown much closer. So close, in fact, that the Mavericks hoped landing Jordan in free agency would give them an edge in the Durant sweepstakes the following summer.Durant said his message to Jordan was simple: I just let him know, Man, whatever you do. Youve got people that love you.It was the kind of thing you say to a friend to let him know you cant make things better for him, but youre still in his corner.I feel like the people who talked to me afterwards are my real friends, Jordan said this week, after a training session with Team USA. The people who stopped texting me afterwards, the ones who said stuff like were family and all that while I was deciding, that wasnt real. I realize it was only a basketball decision for them.You find out who is really on your side. And Kevin was like, Man, you cant worry about what other people think. Youve got to worry about you and what makes you happy.Fast-forward a year and Durant is the one who spent his summer in the middle of a free-agency squall and made a stunning decision that brought withering criticism from fans, peers and media critics.No, he didnt commit to one team and then renege a few days later. But after eight years of telling the fans in Oklahoma City that he loved them and wanted to retire there, his departure for the Golden State Warriors came as a cruel shock.Had he misled them all those years? Did he fall out of love? Or was his love never that pure to begin with?Durant felt all of it. If hes being honest, knowing how much he was about to hurt the fans in Oklahoma City was one of the things that nearly held him back from following his gut and signing with the Warriors. For 48 hours after picking the Warriors, he said he stayed inside the house hed rented in the Hamptons while receiving free-agent pitches from the Warriors, Celtics, Spurs, Clippers, Thunder and Heat.I didnt leave my bed, because I was like, Man, if I walk outside somebody might just try to hit me with their car or say anything negative to me, Durant said. I just stayed in and tried to process it all. ... It felt different.Very different.Durant hasnt been the boyish, backpack-wearing homegrown superstar most people first came to know him as for a while now. First he went through the KD is not nice phase where he was like a child star trying to break out of a wholesome, prepubescent box by releasing a song about being naughty (See: Selena Gomez, Britney Spears, Justin Bieber).Then he started copping an occasional attitude at the media for perceived slights to him, his teammates or any player in the NBA who he thought was getting unfair treatment.But there was always something about Durants defiance that felt a little forced. Like he was just pushing boundaries or asserting his independence from the nice-guy image that had gone way too far and escaped reality a long time ago.He is nice. Hes just not the saint people projected him to be.For example: Last fall he turned down a half-dozen requests for an ESPN The Magazine story. Hed decided to stay silent until he could explain his feelings about free agency on The Players Tribune. Fine. Totally his prerogative. He believed in the Tribunes business model and message of player empowerment. I can respect that. But when we saw each other at Thunder media day, he came over to explain himself in person.How many NBA superstars do that? Most tell an agent or publicist to deliver their bad news and never address it personally. And yet because wed always had a good professional relationship, Durant felt compelled to explain himself in person. It was an incredibly self-aware, sensitive thing to do.Thats just a small example without much consequence. So how in the world was he going to handle breaking the hearts of a city that loved him? Of going from hero to villain? Of being criticized by Hall of Famers like Reggie Miller and Charles Barkley for taking an easier path to a championship?This week in Las Vegas has been Durants first taste of life as a heartbreaker, and it appears hes only allowing himself to feel it in doses.The full weight of the fallout is too much to process all at once.I just try to be the man in the arena, Durant said. Its easy for the critics on the outside to tell you what to do or what decisions to make, but they werent just out here with me, putting in work.I cant really worry about the outside noise. I have to go to work. The work dont stop. The love of the game doesnt fade. Everything stays the same no matter where I play.This has become one of Durants refrains. A self-affirmation of sorts.Some players would get off on being disliked -- whether the sentiment is real or just a projection -- and use it as motivation. But thats not Durants nature.Guys like Kobe [Bryant] thrive on it, said Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim, a longtime Team USA assistant. I dont think Kevin will thrive on it. But I do think he will immerse himself into the [Warriors] team.Another key difference?When you come into town as the villain like Kobe, everybodys focused on him because he was the best player. But when Golden State comes in, theyre not going to just focus on one guy, Boeheim said.That was clearly part of the appeal to joining the Warriors. After years of being the face of his franchise, with the hopes and dreams of a city all on his shoulders, Durant was drawn to the idea of being just one of the guys.Thats part of what he said hes always loved about Team USA and what helped him this week as he adjusts to this new reality.This uncomfortable period may be good for Durant in the end. Making a decision he knew would be unpopular? Maybe thats the personal evolution and growth he needs. Maybe it wont be. In hindsight, Jordan said that hes found the entire process to be clarifying.It definitely makes you tougher, Jordan said. I still joke around like a little kid, but I dont get as mad as I used to about things, I dont let stuff affect me like I used to, because Ive gone through that crap.He hopes itll be that way for Durant as well.When I found out he was going to the Warriors, I texted him, Man, Im happy for you. This is going to be big. I cant wait to kick yalls ass, Jordan said.Im happy for him. He gave those guys [in Oklahoma City] nine great years of MVP-level basketball, a Finals appearance. He played his heart out for that team. If they cant respect that, if other players cant respect it, thats their decision. At the end of the day, hes happy and thats the only person he has to satisfy.Durant was sitting one seat away from Jordan as they each spoke after practice on the third day of Team USA training camp. There was plenty of room on either side of them. But the two old friends seemed more comfortable crowding each others personal space.If things were destined to be uncomfortable going forward, they had might as well lean on each other. Adidas NMD Uitverkoop . Jay Feely kicked a 41-yard field goal in overtime, and the Cardinals edged the Tennessee Titans 37-34 in overtime after blowing a 17-point lead late in the fourth quarter. Adidas NMD Kopen . The 19-year-old Olsen played 34 games with the Kelowna Rockets of the WHL this season. In that time, hes recorded 17 goals and 17 assists with 36 penalty minutes. http://www.nmdtekoop.com/ultra-boost-sneakers/ultra-boost-4-0.html . The Hall of Fame defenceman told Landsberg that he believes fighting still has a place in todays game, but thinks staged fighting needs be outlawed. Adidas Prophere Nederland . Irving scored 23 points, Tristan Thompson had 20 points and 10 rebounds and the Cavaliers beat the Denver Nuggets 117-109 on Friday night. Adidas Ultra Boost Goedkoop . The defending champion beat Gael Monfils of France 7-6 (6), 6-3, while second-seeded Andy Murray of Britain dispatched Edouard Roger-Vasselin, also of France, 6-3, 6-3. Making his first appearance since injuring his wrist a month ago, Del Potro had difficulty with his service games in the first set. RIO DE JANEIRO -- Britain had never won an Olympic gold medal in gymnastics before Sunday.In a span of about an hour, Max Whitlock gave the British two.He already had won a bronze medal in mens all-around at the Rio Games, then took the top spot in the floor exercise and pommel horse Sunday. He wasnt able to properly celebrate after the floor because his two events started just more than 90 minutes apart.I had to go back to the training gym, refocus and get warmed up to do my job on pommel horse. ... It was tough, he said.Whitlock finished fourth in the preliminary round but turned in a stellar routine on the floor to win with a 15.633 score. He outdid Brazilian crowd favorites Diego Hypolito and Arthur Mariano, who finished second and third.But the Brits werent finished yet. Whitlock and Louis Smith repeated what they did at last years world championships by taking gold and silver, respectively, in the pommel horse. Whitlock finished at 15.966 and Smith at 15.833.I think Britain can safely say that were the best pommel horse workers in the world, Smith said. Its just pride. Its nice not to hear a Japanese or American anthem for once. Its nice to hear the British anthem. So, yeah, its just incredible.Smith pushed the British team into contention when he won bronze on the pommel horse at the 2008 Olympics. Whitlock made his Olympic debut in London, where he won broonze on the pommel horse and the team took bronze.dddddddddddd Smith continued to lead Britain in London, taking a silver medal on the pommel horse.But he was unable to capture that elusive gold medal, leaving that honor to Whitlock. Minutes after he collected his second gold medal, Whitlock was asked about the significance of the victory not only for himself but for Britain.I dont know when it will hit me, he said. I dont know if it will to be honest. I just sort of go along and do my thing and go with the flow, but this feels pretty crazy. So Im looking forward to sitting back and sort of taking a look.Smith watched Whitlocks performance Sunday and marveled at what he saw.Incredible performance. Cant fault him, Smith said. Im quite good at eating humble pie and when Im beat, Im beat. It was a fantastic routine. I cant knock the guy.Whitlock seemed a bit dazed after his performance as he walked past reporters. Instead of wearing his gold medal around his neck -- as every other winner did Sunday -- Whitlock clutched his tightly in his right hand while he spoke. He wasnt sure why he didnt put it around his neck.I dont know, really. It is pretty heavy to be honest, he said with a chuckle. Ill go back and keep it safe. Im very proud today. ' ' '