Harrison Barnes forced to sleep on small canoe tied to USA Basketball yacht

RIO DE JANEIRO — USA Basketball reserve Harrison Barnes says he has been able to stay rested during the Olympics despite being forced to sleep in a small canoe tethered to the rear portion of the vessel.

Barnes originally had a cabin on the main boat with the rest of the roster, but teammates later voted him off, arguing he wasn’t good enough to deserve premier lodging at the Olympics.

“Sure, my feelings were hurt a little bit,” said Barnes. “But I’m just amazed to be here at all. I never thought I’d be put on an Olympic team. I still think it was some kind of paperwork mess-up. Anyway, they first got me a bunk in the Athletes’ Village, but I asked if I could stay near them on the canoe to feel part of the team and maybe learn from them just by being nearby. They eventually agreed. They gave me a pillow in the canoe, too. It’s not bad.”

Barnes has played twice in Team USA’s first three games in the tournament, logging a team-low 20 minutes.

“I’m just happy to play at all. Like I said, I really didn’t expect to be on the team,” said Barnes. “The guys even made me feel a part of the team in our second game. They passed the ball to me on the one play!”

However, Kevin Durant later clarified that he did not pass the ball to Barnes.

“I was dribbling and lost control and the ball bounced his direction,” said Durant. “You should have seen his face light up. It was so pathetic.”

Barnes hopes to earn the respect of his teammates, however.

“I’m not at the top of the totem pole. I get that,” he said. “I have to pay my dues. Also, I have to literally pay for all of their lunches when they have me paddle to shore to fetch lunch every day.”