Basketball On The Internet.

KEVIN Durant’s announcement today he has withdrawn from the US team for the World Cup would have every medal contender heading for Spain breaking out the champagne.

The decision by the MVP of the NBA’s 2013-14 season to withdraw on the back of Paul George’s horrific broken leg injury leaves the USA looking as vulnerable now as it did in 2002.

The Worlds were played in Indianapolis that year and it was a wild ride with the host USA finishing sixth.

Sixth.

It lost the playoff for fifth to Spain, its arch rival at international events and the team many had pencilled in to be facing the Americans for Gold at this World Cup.

That 2002 debacle was a mere decade after the advent of the one-and-only Dream Team for the Barcelona Olympics in 1992 when the world at large wondered how long it might take to reel in the NBA’s superstars.

Jordan, Bird, Magic, Ewing, Robinson, Malone, Stockton etcetera - the NBA was untouchable.

Well, it took a lot less time than we thought.

Now with Durant sitting this one out and joining LeBron James, Blake Griffin and George as non-starters, the first teams celebrating will be Turkey, Finland, Ukraine, New Zealand and Dominican Republic, the USA’s opponents in Group C in Bilbao.

And don’t think the Gasol brothers haven’t toasted their good fortune already today either.

With James passing the baton to Durant, this one was going to be “Kevin’s team”.

Now it appears to be Derrick’s team, as in Derrick Rose. At his best, he arguably is the only member of this team left who genuinely is in the top tier of NBA superstars.

“This was an extremely difficult decision as I take great pride in representing our country,” Durant said in a statement released today.

“I know that I owe it to my USA Basketball teammates to be totally invested in the experience.

“After going through training camp with USAB, I realised I could not fulfill my responsibilities to the team from both a time and energy standpoint.

“I need to take a step back and take some time away, both mentally and physically in order to prepare for the upcoming NBA season.

“I will be rooting for USAB and look forward to future opportunities with them.”

Durant was there at the 2010 World Championship and again in London in 2012 claiming Olympic Gold.

It’s not as though he hasn’t logged time for the USA but his timing on this one is interesting, on the back of George’s broken leg last week.

I wouldn’t guess that it was a determining factor but it would have played a part.

After all, it’s not as if Durant just now realised he had another five solid weeks of commitment ahead of him before a tiny respite and gearing for another 82-game NBA regular season with an Oklahoma City Thunder team whose Championship window appears to be narrowing.

But after another long NBA season, then playoffs, then the other NBA obligations which come with being the reigning MVP, if he is struggling to maintain his focus and commitment then he has done the right thing for everyone.

It is the right thing for him and OKC, the right thing for USA Basketball and the right thing for every other nation with a medal in its sights.

Compare him to Derrick Rose right now and coming back off injury, the Chicago Bulls’ star is chomping at the bit to play as much quality basketball as he can.

So do not for a second think the USA team has degenerated into chopped liver.

It is still quality and still amid the contenders.

It just doesn’t have anywhere near the air of invincibility USA teams crammed with NBA superstars once did.

Just about every contender has NBA players. Their mystique has been demystified.

For Australia and the Boomers, as for the Tall Blacks of New Zealand who played off for Bronze in Indianapolis, today’s revelation is just another boost to their aspirations in Spain.