Perhaps one of the more surprising members for USA Basketball this year, was Nets big man, Mason Plumlee. Some decided to shroud the selection in conspiracy, claiming Plum only made it because he played under Team USA coach Mike Krzyzewski while at Duke and also endorses Nike, who is the official sponsor and outfits the FIBA World Cup men’s basketball team.
The interviewer prefaces the question with the caveat, “No offense,” when it’s clear Plumlee should take offense to such a ridiculous question. It’s a question that belongs in an obscure basketball forum and not emanating from the mouth of an actual credentialed media employee.
Here’s how Plumlee smartly answered the question, with a knowing smirk that the query is about as inappropriate as it gets in terms of reporting on the World Cup games:
“I’m very proud that I went to Duke and I’m very proud that I wear Nike. And that has nothing to do with it. If you were at our practices, and at our training camp — anybody that was there would see why I made the team.”
Kudos to Plumlee for keeping his cool, so soon after USA defeated Finland on Saturday, which is when the question was posed. If it had been us, we’d probably drop a couple f-bombs and get a little more aggressive with the interviewer, who was dwarfed by the 6-10 Mason. But Plumlee is a professional, yet another reason — besides his defense, rebounding and energy — why he was selected to represent the USA.
(video by Emmet Ryan)
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