There are only a small handful of countries which can present a challenge to Team USA, but it only takes one game to make the difference between a gold medal or bust.
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The US haven’t lost a game since the 2006 world championships, winning 65 straight games. Nor is it a lock to win the gold medal when you consider the competition.
Durant and Green caught a chorus of boos from the sellout crowd in Los Angeles, although Durant claimed not to notice.
“We’re going to have fun and we’re going to enjoy ourselves”, Anthony said. With strong play and under Coach K’s guidance, team US should have the ability to bring home the gold. “I’m going to try to be more conscious of that”.
This year’s USA team of Women’s National Basketball Association stars feature three-time gold medalists and captains Tamika Catchings, Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird, two-time Olympic winners Seimone Augustus and Sylvia Fowles, 2012 gold medalists Moore, Tina Charles, Angel McCoughtry and Lindsay Whalen and debutantes Elena Delle Donne, Brittney Griner and collegian Breanna Stewart.
The Chinese team’s most recognisable name to North Americans is Yi Jianlian, the Milwaukee Bucks’ choice with the No 6 overall pick in the 2007 draft.
At the helm of the USA squad is Duke Blue Devils head coach Mike Krzyzewski, his third time doing so, along with a string of assistant coaches, like Syracuse Orange head coach Jim Boeheim, current Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Tom Thibodeau, and former Oklahoma City Thunder associate head coach Monty Williams.
The U.S. team also has exhibitions scheduled against Venezuela on July 29 at United Center in Chicago and on August 1 against Nigeria at Toyota Center in Houston.
When told he had been booed in pregame introductions, Durant seemed surprised: “No, I didn’t hear it. I did? Huh”. “But we really have an inside presence on the boards”. At Seoul in 1988, the U.S. collegians lost to the Soviet Union in a semi-final, sparking the decision for USA Basketball to assemble a “Dream Team” for 1992.
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These teams will meet again Tuesday evening. “We’ve been on a lot of journeys, and we’ve crossed paths before, but now we’re all coming together at the right time”.
