USA men's basketball team head coach Steve Kerr has downplayed Kevin Durant's calf injury that has kept the triple Olympic gold medallist from training with the group ahead of the Paris Games.

Team USA touched down in Abu Dhabi on Friday ahead of two scheduled exhibition games against Australia (July 15) and Serbia (July 17) as they ramp up their preparations for the Olympics.

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Durant, who suffered a calf strain two weeks ago, was present at Saturday's session at the New York University Abu Dhabi campus but once again did not join his teammates in practice.

Kerr remains unconcerned, though, and says they have not discussed any contingency plans to replace the Phoenix Suns forward on the roster.

"He won't practise with the team today, he'll continue to do individual work," Kerr told reporters in the UAE capital on Saturday.

"I know there's still a couple of weeks before we have to make a decision roster-wise, so we're just taking it day by day."

"It's not something we've even discussed at this point," Kerr said when asked about a back-up plan. "Because we feel good that he's going to be okay, it's just day to day."

<h2>- 'True leader' -</h2>

USA Basketball have put together a 'super-team' for these &nbsp;Olympic Games that includes LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Durant, Anthony Davis, Anthony Edwards, and recently-crowned NBA champions Jayson Tatum and Jrue Holiday of the Boston Celtics.

But they have already had to make a replacement in the squad, bringing in a third Celtic, Derrick White, to take the spot of Kawhi Leonard, who left training camp last Wednesday in Las Vegas.

The Americans are playing five friendly games in the build-up to Paris, the first of which saw them defeat Canada 86-72 on Wednesday night at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Joel Embiid, the 2023 NBA MVP, fouled out midway through the third quarter but Kerr is certain the Philadelphia 76ers centre will be up for the task of guarding all the bigs they come up against at the Olympics.

"Joel will be fine. He's going to get into the rhythm and the flow," he assured. "It always takes big guys a little bit longer to get into flow in training."

James is playing under Kerr for the first time in his career and described the Golden State Warriors coach as a "true leader and true student of the game".

Chasing a third Olympic gold medal and fourth overall, James, 39, is the oldest player on the roster.

Donning a USA jersey for the first time in 12 years, James is keen to share his experience with the younger players on the team, especially knowing that this will be his final Games.

"It's always a responsibility that you should hold with honour and being able to give back to the younger generation because they have to keep going when we're done," said James.&nbsp;

"So it's definitely a responsibility for myself, KD, and Steph to be able to just show them the ropes."

Boasting their most star-studded squad since the fabled 1992 'Dream Team', USA are gunning for a fifth consecutive Olympic gold medal and 17th men's title at the Games overall.

After completing their exhibition games schedule in Abu Dhabi and London, the Americans will kick off their Olympics title defence against their Group C rivals Serbia in Lille on July 28 before facing South Sudan on July 31 and Puerto Rico on August 3.

(Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.)

USA men's basketball team head coach Steve Kerr has downplayed Kevin Durant's calf injury that has kept the triple Olympic gold medallist from training with the group ahead of the Paris Games.

USA men's basketball team head coach Steve Kerr has downplayed Kevin Durant's calf injury that has kept the triple Olympic gold medallist from training with the group ahead of the Paris Games. Team USA touched down in Abu Dhabi on Friday ahead of two scheduled exhibition games against Australia (July 15) and Serbia (July 17) as they ramp up their preparations for the Olympics. Also Read: Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker calls out Serena Williams for ESPY roast Durant, who suffered a calf strain two weeks ago, was present at Saturday's session at the New York University Abu Dhabi campus but once again did not join his teammates in practice. Kerr remains unconcerned, though, and says they have not discussed any contingency plans to replace the Phoenix Suns forward on the roster. "He won't practise with the team today, he'll continue to do individual work," Kerr told reporters in the UAE capital on Saturday. "I know there's still a couple of weeks before we have to make a decision roster-wise, so we're just taking it day by day." "It's not something we've even discussed at this point," Kerr said when asked about a back-up plan. "Because we feel good that he's going to be okay, it's just day to day." - 'True leader' - USA Basketball have put together a 'super-team' for these Olympic Games that includes LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Durant, Anthony Davis, Anthony Edwards, and recently-crowned NBA champions Jayson Tatum and Jrue Holiday of the Boston Celtics. But they have already had to make a replacement in the squad, bringing in a third Celtic, Derrick White, to take the spot of Kawhi Leonard, who left training camp last Wednesday in Las Vegas. The Americans are playing five friendly games in the build-up to Paris, the first of which saw them defeat Canada 86-72 on Wednesday night at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Joel Embiid, the 2023 NBA MVP, fouled out midway through the third quarter but Kerr is certain the Philadelphia 76ers centre will be up for the task of guarding all the bigs they come up against at the Olympics. "Joel will be fine. He's going to get into the rhythm and the flow," he assured. "It always takes big guys a little bit longer to get into flow in training." James is playing under Kerr for the first time in his career and described the Golden State Warriors coach as a "true leader and true student of the game". Chasing a third Olympic gold medal and fourth overall, James, 39, is the oldest player on the roster. Donning a USA jersey for the first time in 12 years, James is keen to share his experience with the younger players on the team, especially knowing that this will be his final Games. "It's always a responsibility that you should hold with honour and being able to give back to the younger generation because they have to keep going when we're done," said James. "So it's definitely a responsibility for myself, KD, and Steph to be able to just show them the ropes." Boasting their most star-studded squad since the fabled 1992 'Dream Team', USA are gunning for a fifth consecutive Olympic gold medal and 17th men's title at the Games overall. After completing their exhibition games schedule in Abu Dhabi and London, the Americans will kick off their Olympics title defence against their Group C rivals Serbia in Lille on July 28 before facing South Sudan on July 31 and Puerto Rico on August 3. (Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.)

Paris Olympics 2024: Coach Kerr confident of Durant 'going to be okay' as Team USA chase 17th basketball gold

Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr said Monday he is confident of remaining with the club despite not yet signing an extension to his existing contract.

Kerr, who has led the Warriors to four NBA championships since taking over as coach in 2014, is entering the final year of his contract when the 2023/2024 season tips off at the end of October.

The 57-year-old told reporters on Monday however that he is relaxed about inking a new deal in the future, confident he can come to an agreement with owner Joe Lacob and new general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr.

"I feel great about my position here," Kerr said. "I want to be here. I know Mike and Joe want me here, and so I'm very confident something will get done. I'm not stressed about it at all."

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Kerr added there was no question of uncertainty about his long-term contract status unsettling him during the season.

"You know, I'm perfectly capable of coaching whether I have one year left or an extension," Kerr said. "Makes no difference. But I fully expect to be here."

Dunleavy meanwhile said the Warriors were comfortable to bide their time before tying Kerr and star player Klay Thompson to new deals. Thompson is also entering the final year of his current contract.

"There's no real timeline in the immediate future that we have to abide by, so we'll continue to have conversations," Dunleavy said.&nbsp;

"But the main goal is secure those guys moving forward, and I think they feel a little bit of the same. But we are optimistic, and I think we are in a good place there."

The Warriors have bolstered their roster for the upcoming season with the addition of veteran 12-time All-Star Chris Paul, who signed from Phoenix.

Kerr said the 38-year-old had already made an impression during the off-season.

"I really like Chris because he likes phone calls and not texts," said Kerr. "Chris is old school. He wants to talk.&nbsp;

"We've had four or five great conversations this summer.

"Obviously we have had a lot of battles over the years.&nbsp;

"So I'm thrilled to coach him. He's one of the greatest competitors I've ever seen; his command of the game, the way he controls the action. He understands what wins.

"So I'm really excited to coach Chris and I know he's really excited to be here."

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Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr said Monday he is confident of remaining with the club despite not yet signing an extension to his existing contract. Kerr, who has led the Warriors to four NBA championships since taking over as coach in 2014, is entering the final year of his contract when the 2023/2024 season tips off at the end of October.

Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr said Monday he is confident of remaining with the club despite not yet signing an extension to his existing contract. Kerr, who has led the Warriors to four NBA championships since taking over as coach in 2014, is entering the final year of his contract when the 2023/2024 season tips off at the end of October. The 57-year-old told reporters on Monday however that he is relaxed about inking a new deal in the future, confident he can come to an agreement with owner Joe Lacob and new general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. "I feel great about my position here," Kerr said. "I want to be here. I know Mike and Joe want me here, and so I'm very confident something will get done. I'm not stressed about it at all." Also Read: CWC '23: After much delay, Pakistan visa issues sorted, team cleared to travel to India Kerr added there was no question of uncertainty about his long-term contract status unsettling him during the season. "You know, I'm perfectly capable of coaching whether I have one year left or an extension," Kerr said. "Makes no difference. But I fully expect to be here." Dunleavy meanwhile said the Warriors were comfortable to bide their time before tying Kerr and star player Klay Thompson to new deals. Thompson is also entering the final year of his current contract. "There's no real timeline in the immediate future that we have to abide by, so we'll continue to have conversations," Dunleavy said. "But the main goal is secure those guys moving forward, and I think they feel a little bit of the same. But we are optimistic, and I think we are in a good place there." The Warriors have bolstered their roster for the upcoming season with the addition of veteran 12-time All-Star Chris Paul, who signed from Phoenix. Kerr said the 38-year-old had already made an impression during the off-season. "I really like Chris because he likes phone calls and not texts," said Kerr. "Chris is old school. He wants to talk. "We've had four or five great conversations this summer. "Obviously we have had a lot of battles over the years. "So I'm thrilled to coach him. He's one of the greatest competitors I've ever seen; his command of the game, the way he controls the action. He understands what wins. "So I'm really excited to coach Chris and I know he's really excited to be here." WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

NBA: Steve Kerr hopeful of being at Warriors despite not signing contract extension yet

Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr, whose father was murdered by a violent Islamic group in 1984, has made a passionate plea for stronger background checks on US gun purchases. 
 
Kerr spoke on Friday on a podcast by San Jose Mercury News sports columnist Tim Kawakami about the Warriors` loss to Cleveland in the NBA Finals then took the conversation into politics. 
 
&quot;Our government is insane,&quot; Kerr said, for failing to pass gun control legislation. 
 
Democratic members of the House of Representatives staged a 24-hour sit-in Wednesday and Thursday to protest the inability to even have a vote on gun restriction proposals. 
 
Kerr`s father, Malcolm, was the president of the American University of Beirut.&nbsp; 
 
He was gunned down in the hallway outside his office in 1984 while his son was a freshman basketball standout at the University of Arizona. 
 
&quot;When 90 per cent of our country wants background checks on gun purchases and we&#39;ve got our Senate and our House not only voting it 
down but using the Bill of Rights as a reason for people to have rights to carry these automatic weapons, and we`re getting people murdered every day at an alarming rate -- I just have to get this off my chest -- our government is insane. We are insane.&quot; 
 
Kerr&#39;s call for arms control came two weeks after a terror attack at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, left 49 dead and 53 others wounded in the deadliest mass shooting in US history, a massacre that came the night before Kerr`s Warriors lost game five of the NBA Finals on their way to squandering a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series, the worst collapse in finals history. 
 
&quot;What bugs me is this adherence to the right to bear arms,&quot; Kerr said. &quot;That was back in 1776. People didn`t own automatic rifles.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;You had to have a musket in case the Redcoats were coming, the British were coming. And the beautiful thing about the Constitution is they left open amendments to change things because things change over time. 
 
&quot;I kind of think that our forefathers would not have OK`d automatic weapons to be sold to everybody if they existed back then. Let`s have some checks. It`s easier to get a gun than it is to get a driver`s license. It`s insane.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;And as somebody who`s had a family member shot and killed, it devastates me every time I read about this stuff -- like what happened in 
Orlando -- and then it`s even more devastating to see the government just cowing to the NRA (National Rifle Association) and going to this totally outdated Bill Of Rights, right to bear arms.&quot; 
 
Kerr, who spent much of his youth overseas, called for political change to toss out those who back the NRA`s desire to avoid any limits on gun ownership. 
 
&quot;If you want to own a musket, fine, you know, but come on. The rest of the world thinks we`re insane. We are insane,&quot; Kerr said.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;And until we vote these senators and congressmen and women out of office, the same thing is going to happen. And it`s infuriating.&quot; 
 
Kerr wondered how US lawmakers might react if their family members were at greater risk of being slain in mass shootings. 
 
&quot;You wonder if any of these senators and congressmen and women who are so opposed to even holding a vote on not only the right to 
buy an automatic weapon but just the background checks and the lists and all the stuff, how would they feel about this if their own child, their own mother, their own father, sister, brother, wife, husband was murdered. Mass murdered,&quot; Kerr said. 
 
&quot;How many times do we have to go through this before our government actually does something about it?&quot; 
 
(AFP)

'Our government is insane' for failing to pass gun control legislation, Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr says

Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr, whose father was murdered by a violent Islamic group in 1984, has made a passionate plea for stronger background checks on US gun purchases. Kerr spoke on Friday on a podcast by San Jose Mercury News sports columnist Tim Kawakami about the Warriors` loss to Cleveland in the NBA Finals then took the conversation into politics. "Our government is insane," Kerr said, for failing to pass gun control legislation. Democratic members of the House of Representatives staged a 24-hour sit-in Wednesday and Thursday to protest the inability to even have a vote on gun restriction proposals. Kerr`s father, Malcolm, was the president of the American University of Beirut. He was gunned down in the hallway outside his office in 1984 while his son was a freshman basketball standout at the University of Arizona. "When 90 per cent of our country wants background checks on gun purchases and we've got our Senate and our House not only voting it down but using the Bill of Rights as a reason for people to have rights to carry these automatic weapons, and we`re getting people murdered every day at an alarming rate -- I just have to get this off my chest -- our government is insane. We are insane." Kerr's call for arms control came two weeks after a terror attack at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, left 49 dead and 53 others wounded in the deadliest mass shooting in US history, a massacre that came the night before Kerr`s Warriors lost game five of the NBA Finals on their way to squandering a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series, the worst collapse in finals history. "What bugs me is this adherence to the right to bear arms," Kerr said. "That was back in 1776. People didn`t own automatic rifles. "You had to have a musket in case the Redcoats were coming, the British were coming. And the beautiful thing about the Constitution is they left open amendments to change things because things change over time. "I kind of think that our forefathers would not have OK`d automatic weapons to be sold to everybody if they existed back then. Let`s have some checks. It`s easier to get a gun than it is to get a driver`s license. It`s insane. "And as somebody who`s had a family member shot and killed, it devastates me every time I read about this stuff -- like what happened in Orlando -- and then it`s even more devastating to see the government just cowing to the NRA (National Rifle Association) and going to this totally outdated Bill Of Rights, right to bear arms." Kerr, who spent much of his youth overseas, called for political change to toss out those who back the NRA`s desire to avoid any limits on gun ownership. "If you want to own a musket, fine, you know, but come on. The rest of the world thinks we`re insane. We are insane," Kerr said. "And until we vote these senators and congressmen and women out of office, the same thing is going to happen. And it`s infuriating." Kerr wondered how US lawmakers might react if their family members were at greater risk of being slain in mass shootings. "You wonder if any of these senators and congressmen and women who are so opposed to even holding a vote on not only the right to buy an automatic weapon but just the background checks and the lists and all the stuff, how would they feel about this if their own child, their own mother, their own father, sister, brother, wife, husband was murdered. Mass murdered," Kerr said. "How many times do we have to go through this before our government actually does something about it?" (AFP)

NBA: Warriors coach Kerr makes emotional gun control plea

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Paris Olympics 2024: Coach Kerr confident of Durant 'going to be okay' as Team USA chase 17th basketball gold

NBA: Steve Kerr hopeful of being at Warriors despite not signing contract extension yet

NBA: Warriors coach Kerr makes emotional gun control plea