TITLE: Durant Says Westbrook Should Choose His Own NBA Farewell; Spoelstra Likely Next Team USA Coach
SLUG: durant-backs-westbrook-spoelstra-team-usa-front-runner
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Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant voiced support for former Oklahoma City Thunder teammate Russell Westbrook, saying the veteran guard deserves a final NBA stop on his own terms.
“Russ is a legend,” Durant told the Up & Adams show. “He deserves to be in the NBA right now. I think he deserves to walk out of the NBA on his terms. That would be dope.”
Durant and Westbrook played together in Oklahoma City from 2008-16 and have remained close. A reunion in Houston is unlikely, however, because the Rockets are hard-capped and cannot add a veteran even on a minimum contract.
Spoelstra Expected to Take Over Team USA
Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra is the leading candidate to replace Steve Kerr as head coach of the U.S. men’s national team, according to multiple reports. A formal agreement has not been reached, but ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Spoelstra is the frontrunner.
Spoelstra served as an assistant under Kerr at the 2023 FIBA World Cup and the 2024 Paris Olympics, helping the United States reclaim gold this summer. The prospective deal would put him in charge through the 2027 World Cup in Qatar and the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
Entering his 18th season with Miami, Spoelstra is the NBA’s longest-tenured head coach. He has guided the Heat to six NBA Finals and two championships.
WNBA Coaching Searches Eye NBA Assistants
Five WNBA teams currently have head-coaching vacancies, and several NBA assistants are under consideration, The Stein Line’s Marc Stein reported. Franchises are said to favor candidates with G League backgrounds, mirroring the profile of Phoenix Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts, who has led his club to the WNBA Finals.
Former Los Angeles Clippers assistant Natalie Nakase matches that template. She earned Coach of the Year honors in her first season at the helm of Golden State’s WNBA franchise.
Source: Hoops Wire
