Nigeria, which beat the Americans in an exhibition, has eight NBA players. Australia, which also defeated the U.S. in a warm-up game, has seven. So does France, the first U.S. opponent in this tournament on Sunday and the nation that knocked the Americans out of contention at the Basketball World Cup two years ago. That setback sent the team spiraling to a seventh-place finish, the worst showing in any tournament ever for an American roster composed of NBA players.
“I think every team wants to beat us,” U.S. forward Kevin Durant said. “Everybody wants to see us lose, so every game has a little bit more pressure to it.”Slovenia’s Luka Doncic garnered more first-team votes in the All-NBA voting this season, 55, than the entire U.S. Olympic roster got combined. This is Slovenia’s first time in the Olympics, but with Doncic leading the way, medal talk doesn’t seem misguided.
Doncic willed Slovenia to a win in the Olympic qualifying tournament that ended on July 4 and gave the tiny nation a spot in the Tokyo field. And what he’s done in his NBA tenure with Dallas has only shown the world that the buzz he arrived with was more than appropriate. “He’s a spectacular player, as we all know,” Popovich said. “He’s one of the best players in the world. And I emphasize, in the world. He showed himself early on in Europe, and he was a fast study in the NBA for sure. He’s fun to watch. His skills, his competitiveness, his size, his innate basketball IQ is so impressive. You put four hardworking people around him and you’ve got a hell of a team.”
With the lack of drug testing this year, due to the pandemic, of course many sports will see Russian athletes winning as never before. Only the USA has been testing its athletes this past year.
Any country that plays a moderate level of team ball can beat Team USA.
NO WAY!
It’s just because not all the good u.s. players participate (Klay Thompson, Steph curry, Lebron, etc.)
This is basically the same recycled story from 20 years ago. Nothing has changed. FakeNews
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