Kevin Durant has begun international duty as he takes on the mantle of leading Team USA to the Olympics.
The torch has been passed from Kobe Bryant and LeBron James to Darantuala, who is the clear leader of the pack alongside the New York Knicks' Carmelo Anthony.
At a media avail ahead of the tournament that tips off in Rio de Janeiro on August 6, the obvious questions about Durant's current NBA situation popped up - there is no surprise there - and he was asked whether his issue with Russell Westbrook's style of play was one of the things that helped push him away from the Oklahoma City Thunder.
“No, no it wasn’t,” Durant said. “Obviously that’s coming out now that I’ve gone, of course it’s going to come out, but I can’t really control that. I just made a decision based on where I wanted to go. Simple as that. You can think about all the reasoning and the factors, but the fact is it’s that simple.”
Really, it's pretty clear to see why he opted for a move to the Golden State Warriors. At 27, he is in his prime. Having given nine years of service to OKC that yielded one Finals appearance and numerous Conference Finals heartbreaks, he wanted to add some rings to his collection.
While Golden State doesn't guarantee that, they are the closest thing to a sure bet. They now have four All-Stars, four bonafide franchise players, but four guys who don't care about image or money, they care about being the best and realise the best team can achieve greatness.
They were embarking on something great without Durant. His inclusion only takes it on to another level. It was a no-brainer really.
Of course, he has faced criticism from some areas; most notably a number of Hall of Famers. But the game has changed since their day.
