NBA Rumors: Jay-Z to blame for Kevin Durant leaving Team USA?

In a move that shocked the basketball world, Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant withdrew from Team USA basketball and the FIBA World Cup on August 7.

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The aftermath of Durant’s decision has certainly been interesting. KD said he left the team due to physical and mental exhaustion, but others have speculated his motives might have been not-so pure.

Durant’s contract with Nike is expiring and he reportedly has a $300 million-plus offer from Under Armour. Chris Sheridan of Sheridan Hoops reports that Durant and his agent with Roc Nation, legendary rapper Jay-Z, didn’t want to jeopardize that offer, leaving Team USA upset and without it star player.

"Team USA is only the latest entity to be left with a sour taste after dealing with Durant and his latest agent. The folks at Nike aren’t exactly happy. The folks at Gatorade already were unhappy.“It’s like Jay-Z is determined to do a scorched earth negotiation with everyone Kevin Durant is currently aligned with, and they aren’t doing him any favors,” one source close to Durant told SheridanHoops on Friday as Team USA prepared for its first exhibition game in preparation for the 2014 World Cup. (…)And what I have discovered in talking to members of the U.S. federation over the past two days is this: Durant and his agency, Roc Nation, are more interested in cashing in on his MVP award and his expiring Nike deal than they are in having Durant keep his word to the people who were with him in 2010 in Turkey at the World Championship and in 2012 in London at the Olympics."

Sherdian later goes on to say that Jay Z is a “big part of the reason why” Team USA is not a lock to win gold in the World Cup.

While the move was an enormous blow to Team USA, it’s hard to blame Durant and Jay Z too much for wanting to protect its enormous offer from Under Armour by avoiding the Cup and lessening the chances of KD getting injured. But based on Sheridan’s report, it seem like the two could have handled their business in a more respectful fashion to Team USA.