The media points to the need to bring together all the stars for the Paris 2024 Games after being left off the podium in this edition of the World Cup
The selection of USA leave the Philippines World Cup with pride touched and with many questions to clear up. The day after the defeat he left a bitter aftertaste, not only because he lost in the semifinals against Germany, but also for running out of the consolation of the bronze medal. Being left off the podium is a hard blow for a team that was used to dominating major world events, whether or not they were its biggest stars.
“We are expected to win year after year. That is what is expected from the results and the history of our team,” says the Knicks point guard, Jalen Brunson one of the 12 players who has been part of the national team Steve Kerr in this quote. “All of these are opinions from outsiders. Mine is that obviously we weren’t ready to play from the start.”
He ‘Dream Team’ of ’92in the Barcelona Games, set a very high standard for the US team. NBA stars, with Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird up front, they fully committed themselves to that Olympic event and won each match by margins of over 30 points. That team did a lot to spread the image of the sport. But it was also a motivation for the rest of the countries that have not stopped cutting the differences.
It is true that USA has won gold in seven of the last eight editions of the Olympic Games, since ’92 (the only exception was in Athens-2004), but in the World Cups they have suffered several defeats that have spread the certainty that if they do not go with their best players they will be vulnerable. It happened in his own house, in Indianapolis In 2002, a team with Gregg Popovich on the bench and with stars like Paul Pierce and Reggie Miller. It happened again in 2019, where they fell in the quarterfinals against France and it has happened again in 2023, with his defeat against Germany in semi-finals.
Kerr’s explanation
“Gaming has gone global in the last 30 years. The matches are complicated. We are no longer in 92”, has been the explanation of Steve Kerr. “The players are much better all over the world. Also the teams. There are no longer easy victories in the World Cups or in the Olympic Games.”
The criticism from the American media has intensified in recent hours and some, like the NBC or The Athletic have pointed out the need to recruit the big stars to regain hegemony next summer in the Paris 2024 Games.
The ESPN SportsCenter program assessed the potential that a team with LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Stepehn Curry, Jayson Tatum, Jimmy Butler, Anthony Davis, Damian Lillard and Kawhi Leonard and his own lebron gave rise to speculation, retweeting the graphic created by ESPN, hinting that it could be part of that bet.
The star of the Lakers He won bronze in the Athens Games in 2004, but won gold in 2008, in Beijing, and in 2012, in London, in the final against Spain and no longer took part in the Rio editions. 2016 nor in 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 Gordi Herbert explained that one of the keys to the success of his team is the medium-term commitment that a few players acquired after a long conversation he had with Dennis Schröder in 2021 to plan for the future. Germany has been working with the same group for a couple of years (bronze a year ago in the Eurobasket) just like other teams like Serbia or Spain.
With that example, they asked Steve Kerr If the US federation could apply a similar policy and form a solid base of players to work with for longer, not just five weeks before the start of the championship. “I’m not sure how it could be done. If the question is asking ten players to play every summer, I think it’s not something very realistic”, explained the coach of Golden Statewho took over in December 2021 and has had very little time to work with these players.
“Part of the commitment to the federation is that you pass the baton to the next group of players and coaches,” he explained. Kerr. “It is very different from what happens in 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 one time or another.”
The defeat in the World Cup in the Philippines raises many doubts in the US, 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.