Kevin Love probably won’t be getting invited to Thanksgiving dinner at Jerry Colangelo’s house any time soon.
In an interview this week with Joe Vardon of The Athletic, Colangelo, the managing director of USA Basketball, absolutely tore into Love over Love’s withdrawal from the Tokyo Olympics.
“I didn’t think Kevin Love was gonna play,” said Colangelo. “I wasn’t even sure he had much left to play. He reached out to us and said he was in shape and said he felt he owed us. On the basis of that, we’re looking at someone with international experience who at one time was a heck of a rebounder and could still shoot the ball. You know, being like a 12th man on a roster.
“Well, it didn’t work out,” Colangelo went on. “He wasn’t in shape. And he was way behind as it turned out. So you move on. Call it a mistake.”
Love, who was a member of the United States’ gold medal team at the 2012 London Olympics, got selected to the original 12-man roster for the Tokyo Games. He ultimately withdrew before the third exhibition contest though, citing the lingering effects of a calf injury. Love was effectively replaced by JaVale McGee on the roster.
Not everybody was happy about Love making the roster in the first place. Colangelo though really seems displeased about how it played out with him.
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