Team USA must redeem itself. Two years after their total disappointment, namely an elimination in the quarterfinals after being beaten by France at the World Cup in China, the players of Gregg Popovich are leaving on a mission. This time in Japan, with the ambition of winning a fourth consecutive Gold medal at the Olympic Games.
But Americans won’t play just to win the competition. They also hope to pay tribute to Kobe Bryant, icon of the large majority of the players in the current squad of the selection.
“He’s a player we all watched as a kid,” notes Kevin Durant. “His DNA is imbued with us. He taught us what it was like to have a work ethic. Now that he’s gone, we want to honor him by playing every possession with passion and determination.”
A nice speech from KD. But the message has not yet fully passed. Yesterday evening, for their first preparation match, Team USA lost against Nigeria (87-90). In 2012, with Kobe Bryant, the United States beat the future African champions by 88 points …
The contexts and the teams are of course very different. Nigerians even have a super roster for the Olympics. And Team USA remains the big favorite in the competition.
Team USA beaten by Nigeria, a little shock wave!
