United States stars turn on coach after historic mega-choke
The all-conquering Team USA is in the middle of its greatest crisis after a 17-year Olympic-first and claims of a fractured dressing room.
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The all-conquering Team USA is in the middle of its greatest crisis — and there are signs it may be just the start of the team’s free fall.
The basketball titans were fried by the French in a stunning opening loss at the Tokyo Olympics on Monday morning, leading to reports of disharmony within the dressing room.
The Americans led Team France by seven points with under four minutes remaining, but the French scored the next 14 points for a shocking 83-76 victory at Saitama Super Arena.
America’s slump was exposed by an ugly finish to the game where some of the biggest stars in basketball looked like an U12’s shooting clinic.
Team USA missed its final nine shots in a spectacular collapse.
With the game on the line, the Americans had one possession where the team missed five consecutive shots — the majority were uncontested three-point attempts that clunked off the rim.
It was the lowest minute of basketball America has known on the international stage since its defeat at the 2004 Olympics — the last time the men’s team has lost at the Olympics.
It ended a run of 24-consecutive victories at the Olympics.
The US also lost to Nigeria and Australia in the Las Vegas Olympic warm-up series earlier this month.
The Athletic’s Joe Vardon reported after the game there are concerning rumblings within the dressing room.
Vardon reported that the playing group were “grumbling on their way back to the locker room”, left “frustrated” by the fact they were running “San Antonio offence” under coach Gregg Popovich — the veteran coach of the Spurs.
Popovich had said the shortened nature of training camp meant the offence would be based on “concepts” instead of team plays.
Popovich bristled in the post-match press conference.
America, however, simply isn’t accepting his explanations.
“This was USA Basketball choking, in a way that’s never happened before, not at the Olympics,” New York Post columnist Mike Vaccaro wrote.
“It is almost stunning to believe that a team with Kevin Durant, Dame Lillard and company couldn’t close out a seven-point game, under four to go. But it happened.”
He called it an “all-time debacle”.
USA Today’s Dan Wolken wrote: “Let’s be as direct and to the point as Popovich usually is: He stinks at Olympic basketball.
“If you want to know where to put the blame for Team USA’s 83-76 loss to France look no further than the guy with five NBA titles who has been clueless from the very moment he was given the reins to USA Basketball.”
Popovich was defensive after the defeat.
“I think that’s a little bit of hubris if you think the Americans are supposed to just roll out the balls and win,” Popovich said. “We’ve got to work for it just like everybody else. And for those 40 minutes, they played better than we did.”
ESPN’s Stephen A Smith led a chorus of concern Stateside after the Americans also lost recent warm-up games to Australia and Nigeria.
“Okay! Now I’m getting concerned,” he wrote on Instagram.
“Although this loss is the one that counts, it’s still like 3 losses in their last 4 games. What in the hell is going on? Damn!”
USA’s Men’s Basketball just lost in the Olympics for the first time since 2004 and honestly they were beat by a better team. the days of just showing up and running pickup and having the other team ask for pictures after getting waxed by 40 is over.
— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) July 25, 2021
The Slovenia/France men’s basketball final is gonna be epic. Luka vs. Fournier? Hopefully we can steal a bronze.
— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) July 25, 2021
So my prediction of a silver medal for team USA hoops, actually may have been a bit optimistic. 😦
— Colin Cowherd (@ColinCowherd) July 25, 2021
Team USA’s next Pool A game is Wednesday against Iran, which lost its opener, 84-78, earlier Sunday to the Czech Republic.
Originally published as United States stars turn on coach after historic mega-choke
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