OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -Behind closed doors, the trash talk has already begun.
Kevin Durant, Jeff Green and Russell Westbrook are teammates on the Oklahoma City Thunder, but for one night in Phoenix it’ll be Durant and Green against Westbrook in the Rookie Challenge.
The rosters for the All-Star weekend exhibition were unveiled Wednesday night, with Oklahoma City the only team with three players selected. Green will join Durant, the reigning Rookie of the Year, on the sophomore squad, and Westbrook will play on the rookie team.
“They’re already talking trash to one another about the rookie game – who’s going to get the first dunk on who. Talking about, `Don’t take it to the basket or you’re going to get fouled hard,”’ Thunder coach Scott Brooks said Wednesday night.
They’re apparently keeping their war of words inside the locker room, though.
“He started it already, but I don’t talk trash,” said Durant, who’s averaging 24.5 points to rank sixth in the NBA. “I just go out there and have fun. But of course we’re going to go back and forth about it. I can’t wait to play.”
rant and Green on the sophomore team will be Detroit’s Rodney Stuckey, Atlanta’s Al Horford, New York’s Wilson Chandler, Houston’s Aaron Brooks and Luis Scola, Philadelphia’s Thaddeus Young and the Los Angeles Clippers’ Al Thornton.
Memphis’ O.J. Mayo and Marc Gasol will join Portland’s Greg Oden, Chicago’s Derrick Rose, Miami’s Michael Beasley, Portland’s Rudy Fernandez, New Jersey’s Brook Lopez, and Eric Gordon of the Los Angeles Clippers on the rookie roster.
Westbrook had a chance to participate in the festivities in Phoenix, but lost an online vote that sent Fernandez to the slam dunk contest instead.
“It’s my first time. I’m just going to go out and take it all in and just be thankful,” Westbrook said.
Mayo, who was picked behind Rose and Beasley and just ahead of Westbrook in the draft, leads all rookies with a 19.1-point average. He and Gasol will represent Memphis, one of four teams that had two players chosen. The Clippers are the only other team that had a rookie and a sophomore chosen.
“All of these experiences that they have can only help,” Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins said. “They’ll be around the regular All-Star guys, too, and they can see these guys and see how they approach the game and see how they approach it not just from the physical perspective but also from the mental perspective.
and they tell you you’re going to be good if you just keep working on this and just keep doing that. Those are the types of experiences as a young player that helps you to grow.”
Brooks said he was particularly proud to be the only team with three players selected because “they’re all great teammates, they all have great character and they work extremely hard and they’ve improved every month.” He’s also hoping his trio learns from the experience.
“You see the All-Stars there, and it’s a select group. There’s 24 out of 450 players. It’s not an easy group to get involved with,” Brooks said. “When the players see that, it gives them extra motivation. But in order to get that, your team has to win.”
The sophomores have won the challenge the past six years, although Durant led all scorers last year with 23 points for the rookie team in a 136-109 loss.
Brooks offered this prediction: “I have a feeling if anybody’s dunking on anybody, it’s going to be Russell dunking on somebody.”
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