Newest Warrior Kevin Durant in action at Oracle for USA Basketball showcase

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ByCarolyn Tyler KGO logo
Wednesday, July 27, 2016
Newest Warrior Kevin Durant in action at Oracle for USA Basketball showcase
Basketball season doesn't begin until October, but Oracle Arena is back in action and, the newest Warrior Kevin Durant, will be playing.

EAST LANSING, Michigan (KGO) -- Basketball season doesn't begin until October, but Oracle Arena is back in action Tuesday night and the newest Warrior Kevin Durant will be playing.

Oracle Arena has been transformed to get ready for the 2016 USA basketball showcase. The exhibition game features the USA versus China, a tune-up for this summer's Olympic games in Rio.

For Warriors fans, it's more than that. It's the first opportunity since Kevin Durant signed with the Warriors, to see the small forward do it up big at Oracle Arena. His uniform will say USA, but his heart is Dub Nation. And that's what 11-year-old Vincent is here to see.

"I'm so excited that he moved. I feel bad for the Thunder fans, but so good for the Golden State Warriors," said Warriors fan Vincent Russo.

There are three Warriors on Team USA, Durant, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson, so this is an opportunity for Dub Nation to see how they gel.

"So many Warriors on the team, it feels like an All-Star game with the star Warriors players," said Warriors fan Nick Stidhan.

"It means the world to them to be wearing USA," said Warriors president Rick Welts

Welts was one of the architects of the Olympic dream team back in 1992. That featured Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan. The first time America's professional athletes played in the games.

"The legacy of '92 game was to move the sport of basketball and the NBA's presence internationally ahead 20 years over the course of that two weeks," Welts said.

Tonight a glimpse of the latest push for the gold, and for Dub Nation, a sneak peak at next season's starting line-up. Tip off was at 7 p.m.

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