After a bit of a hiccup, an All-Star NBA crew will indeed be going out on a six-game international tour over the next two weeks. Althought they’ll be doing it without reigning MVP Derrick Rose or Russell Westbrook.
Rose confirmed his decision to pull out of the tour before playing in a USO-backed exhibition on Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii, the first such event featuring active NBA players.
“The scheduling was just too tough,” said Rose, whose USO work will keep him in Hawaii until Friday morning.
Westbrook also opted to withdraw from the global exhibitions, sources close to tour production told ESPN The Magazine’s Ric Bucher. The Thunder’s All-Star point guard could not be reached for comment Tuesday.
Tour organizers aim to replace Rose and Westbrook with, among others, Rose’s Bulls teammate, Joakim Noah, the source said.
Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, Dwight Howard and Kevin Durant are definites, and the other 14 players will be announced later today. And trust me, you won’t see Nick Young in the mix. This is going to be a star-laden affair starting this Wednesday in Puerto Rico. They then move on to London, China, and Australia.
Broadcast rights were a part of this, but as of right now, I don’t see anything about where the games will be broadcast. We’ll keep you updated once that information becomes available.
UPDATE:
According to ESPN, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, and Chris Paul will not be joining the tour which could out the kibosh on the whole thing. Also, Kevin Durant is wavering on playing as well.
Photo: usabasketball.com
