On Wednesday, Team USA beat the snot out of Argentina to advance to the semifinals of the men’s basketball tournament. If you wanted to sum up the game in one play, Kevin Durant’s monster double-crossover-to-Eurostep extraordinaire found at the start of this highlight reel is a nice choice.
Let’s break down this casserole of greatness into its delicious layers.
First, Durant gets Andres Nocioni out on an island. This is bad.
Next, Durant determines where Nocioni is trying to send him. Verdict: the middle! The other Team USA players on the court know what happens next (because it has happened to them in the NBA).
Let’s twist him up with a crossover.
Yep, that worked: Nocioni got turned around and now he’s reaching and off balance.
Hit him again, KD!
BAM!
Nocioni is thoroughly beaten (as any defender in the world would be), so it’s time for an unlucky Argentine teammate to help. And the honor goes to ... basketball legend Manu Ginobili!
Kevin Durant has a lot of options here. He could pull up and shoot over Manu at the foul line. He could take it straight at the rim to draw a foul or maybe even an and-1. He can hit Jimmy Butler or Klay Thompson. Or ...
Or ...
No, that’s too dark, Kevin.
No. He’s going to do it.
KEVIN!
Kevin Durant dropped a Eurostep on Manu Ginobili in the Argentine’s final international game. Manu Ginobili, who brought the Eurostep to the NBA and perfected it over more than a decade of stylish, carefree attacks.
This is the most disrespectful thing Kevin Durant has done all summer. Yeah.
But because it’s against Argentina and not against the Mavericks, Raptors, Clippers, Pacers or Knicks, the rest of Team USA LOVES it.
