The selection of the USA let them win the World Cup in the Philippines with touching pride and with many questions that need to be clarified. The day after the defeat left a bitter aftertaste, and not just because of the defeat in the semi-final against Germany but also for the fact that they lacked the consolation of the bronze medal. Failing to reach the podium is a blow to a team used to dominating major world events, whether they were its biggest stars or not.
“We are expected to win year after year. “It’s expected based on our team’s results and history,” the Knicks point guard said. Jalen Brunson, one of the 12 players who were part of the national team, is quoted by Steve Kerr in this quote. “These are all opinions from outsiders. In my opinion, we obviously weren’t ready to play from the start.”
The “Dream Team” from 1992 in the Barcelona gamesHe set a very high standard for the American team. NBA stars, with Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird At the top, they were fully committed to the Olympics and won every game by a margin of over 30 points. This team did a lot to spread the image of the sport. But it was also a motivation for the rest of the countries, which did not stop trying to bridge the differences.
It’s true that the USA has won gold in seven of the last eight editions of the Olympic Games since 1992 (the only exception was in Athens in 2004), but at the World Cup they have suffered several defeats that have spread the certainty that they will be vulnerable if they do not compete with their best players. It happened in his own house, in Indianapolis In 2002, a team was formed with Gregg Popovich on the bench and stars like Paul Pierce and Reggie Miller. This happened again in 2019 when they fell to each other in the quarterfinals in France, and in 2023 it happened again with his defeat against Germany in the semifinals.
Kerr’s explanation
“The game has spread worldwide over the last 30 years. The games are complicated. “We are no longer in 92,” read Steve Kerr’s statement. “The players are much better everywhere in the world. Also the teams. There are no more easy victories in the World Cup or the Olympic Games.”
Criticism from the American media has intensified in the last few hours, and some, like NBC and The Athletic, have highlighted the need to recruit the big stars to regain hegemony next summer at the Paris 2024 Games.
The ESPN SportsCenter program evaluated a team’s potential LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Jayson Tatum, Jimmy Butler, Anthony Davis, Damian Lillard, Kawhi Leonard, and his own LeBron sparked speculation by retweeting the graphic created by ESPN, suggesting it could be part of that bet.
The star of the Lakers He won bronze at the 2004 Athens Games but won gold in the final against Spain in Beijing 2008 and London 2012 and did not take part in the 2016 Rio editions or Tokyo 2021.
Could we see a last dance with LeBron in the Olympics? 👀 pic.twitter.com/RaFH78SO6X
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) September 8, 2023
The German coach Gordy Herbert explained that one of the keys to his team’s success was the medium-term commitment that some players acquired after a long conversation with him, Dennis Schröder, in 2021 to plan for the future. Germany has been working with the same group for several years (bronze a year ago at the European Basketball Championship), as have other teams like Serbia or Spain.
Using this example, they asked Steve Kerr If the US federation could adopt a similar policy and build a solid base of players with whom it could work for longer and not just five weeks before the start of the championship. “I’m not sure how this could be done. “If the question is to bring in ten players every summer, I don’t think that’s very realistic,” explained the coach. Golden State took over in December 2021 and had very little time to work with these players.
“Part of the commitment to the association is passing the baton to the next group of players and coaches,” he explained. Kerr. “It is very different from other countries. But we are unique. We have a lot of talent and many very valuable players. And I think everyone deserves the honor of wearing this shirt at some point.”
The loss at the World Cup in the Philippines raises many doubts in the United States, but at this point, a year from now, there are very few stars who have committed to the national team for the next Olympic event.
