Kevin Durant withdrew Thursday from the U.S. national team, the biggest loss yet for a weakening American squad that will go to Spain without the leading scorer on its last two gold medal winners. The NBAs MVP took part in the Americans training camp in Las Vegas last week, but then informed team officials that he wasnt going to continue. "Kevin reached out to Coach K and myself this afternoon and expressed that he is just physically and mentally drained from the NBA season and his attention to his many responsibilities, USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo said in a statement. "He tried to give it a go at our recent Las Vegas training camp but felt coming out of camp that he was not prepared to fulfil the commitment he made to the team." Durant was the MVP of the world championship in 2010, leading the Americans to that title for the first time since 1994. The Oklahoma City star also started on their gold medal-winning team in the 2012 Olympics and led the Americans with 19.5 points per game. His withdrawal comes less than a week after Indianas Paul George was lost to a broken right leg and follows previous withdrawals by All-Stars Kevin Love, Blake Griffin and LaMarcus Aldridge, and NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard. "This was an extremely difficult decision as I take great pride in representing our country," Durant said. "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 realized I could not fulfil 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." The U.S. roster is down to 15 players. The Americans resume practicing next Thursday in Chicago and have to finalize a 12-man roster before the World Cup of Basketball begins in Spain on Aug. 30. The Americans may still be the favourites, but are increasingly beatable with the losses of Durant and George, who were expected to fill the two starting forward spots. Durant carried a young U.S. to the title four years ago in Turkey with a series of sensational performances, averaging 22.8 points and shattering a number of team offensive records. He set the American mark with 38 points in a semifinal victory over Lithuania. At 6-foot-10, Durant is big enough to play as a power forward internationally, creating a matchup nightmare for opponents who cant defend him on the perimeter. He led the tournament in 3-pointers attempted and made in the 2010 worlds. He has averaged 19.9 points in 31 games in a U.S. jersey, shooting 48 per cent from 3-point range. But Colangelo said the Americans understood his need for time off. "Coach K and I fully support Kevin," he said. "His well-being is the most important thing to us and we support him taking the time to get ready for next season. Hes been part of the national team program for eight years and a big part of the success we have achieved, and we look forward to him being part of our success in the future as well. "We are excited about the opportunity ahead of us and to getting back to work in Chicago on Aug. 14," Colangelo added. "All 15 players are committed to the USA Basketball standard, which is to come together to win gold medals." Yeezy Boost 350 Moins Cher . Unlike last year when nobody got in, there have been estimates of as many as five getting voted in this time around and as few as one, Greg Maddux. Basket Adidas Nmd Homme Pas Cher . The weekend at Oriole Park has been less kind, with three players suffering varying degrees of injury. The worst ailment of the three, at least optically, is the deep bone bruise suffered by Adam Lind when he fouled a pitch off the top of his right foot in the sixth inning of Saturdays game. http://www.basketnmdpascher.fr/pas-cher-...-boost-350.html. In taking its goal tally to 99 in all competitions already this season, City delivered another demonstration of its lethal firepower at Etihad Stadium to set up a fourth-round match at home to another second-tier team -- Watford. Fausse Adidas Nmd Pas Cher . The veteran fighter will be squaring off with Henderson in a five-round lightweight bout as part of another network televised card at the United Center on Saturday night. Fausse Yeezy Boost 350 v2 . Catch the action live on TSN2 at 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt. The Wild lead the Northwest Division and look to get back into the win column after having a season-high seven-game winning streak cut short with Tuesdays 2-1 loss at Winnipeg in the finale of a five-game road trip (4-1-0). NEW YORK -- LeBron James understands it will take time, but he wants Donald Sterling out of the NBA. And he said Sunday that players believe nobody in Sterlings family should be able to own the Los Angeles Clippers if hes gone. Sterling has been banned for life for making racist comments and Commissioner Adam Silver has urged owners to force Sterling to sell the franchise. While Silver has said no decisions had been made about the rest of Sterlings family, NBA spokesman Mike Bass released a statement Sunday night clarifying the leagues authority in the matter. "Under the NBA constitution, if a controlling owners interest is terminated by a three-quarter vote, all other team owners interests are automatically terminated as well," Bass said. "It doesnt matter whether the owners are related as is the case here. These are the rules to which all NBA owners agreed to as a condition of owning their team." Shelly Sterling, Sterlings estranged wife, said she intends to keep her 50 per cent of the franchise. "As players, we want whats right and we dont feel like no one in his family should be able to own the team," James said after the Miami Heat practiced for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against Brooklyn. But Shelly Sterling told ABC News Barbara Walters that she doesnt believe she should be punished for what her husband said. "I will fight that decision," she said in the interview. "To be honest with you, Im wondering if a wife of one of the owners, and theres 30 owners, did something like that, said those racial slurs, would they oust the husband? Or would they leave the husband in?" James was one of the first and strongest voices to speak outt after a recording of Donald Sterlings remarks to V.dddddddddddd Stiviano were posted on TMZs website last month, saying the comments were unacceptable and that there was no place in the league for Sterling. The league is trying to act quickly to remove him. Dick Parsons has been installed as the Clippers interim CEO, and the owners advisory/finance committee has held conference calls each of the last two weeks to discuss that process and timeline for a forced sale. That would require a three-fourths vote of owners. But Donald Sterling, who bought the team in 1981 and is the NBAs longest-tenured owner, could choose to fight those attempts by the league. "At the end of the day, this is going to be a long litigation when it comes to that," James said. "This guy whos owned the team since the 80s is not going to just give the team up in a day. So we understand its going to be long, but we want whats right." In his first public comments since being banned, Donald Sterling apologized Sunday for the racist comments captured on tape, saying they were a "terrible mistake." "Im not a racist," Sterling told CNNs Anderson Cooper in excerpts posted from an interview taped Sunday and set to air Monday. "I made a terrible mistake. Im here to apologize." Sterling said years of good behaviour as an owner should count toward his future. "Im a good member who made a mistake," Sterling said. "Am I entitled to one mistake, am I after 35 years? I mean, I love my league, I love my partners. Am I entitled to one mistake? Its a terrible mistake, and Ill never do it again. ... If the owners feel I have another chance, then theyll give it to me." ' ' '