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Military

Kobe, LeBron, And Team USA Show Off Their Stuff For The Troops

Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, walks with professional basketball player Kobe Bryant at Arlington National Cemetery
DoD
Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, walks with professional basketball player Kobe Bryant at Arlington National Cemetery

Basketball superstars Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Kevin Durant played basketball in front of thousands of troops and military families this weekend. Team USA held a practice and a children's clinic as part of the "Hoops for Troops" program.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, gave a pep talk to the male and female players of Team USA at the District of Columbia National Guard Armory.

Dempsey said of "Hoops for Troops":

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“If you’re a huge sports fan, this is one of these events that have got to be memorable to you. It is a huge morale boost for us, that is to say, those that serve and their families.”

After the practice, Dempsey gave Team USA a guided tour of Arlington National Cemetery. Players Bryant, James, and Durant placed a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown. Durant said of the wreath-laying:

“Words can’t describe how excited I was to get that opportunity. Not too many people get that... It really puts everything in perspective for you, how much people sacrificed – that you don’t even know – for your lives and that’s big.”

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