Saving their best for last in a tournament that had been tough, the United States convincingly won its third consecutive gold medal, beating Serbia 96-66 on Sunday.
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“You can criticize whatever you want, but I think they’re doing a good job given their short time together”, Robinson said. We corrected our mistakes and came together as a team.
Krzyzewski, who was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2001, will be replaced for the 2017-2020 Tokyo Olympics cycle by Gregg Popovich of the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs.
Krzyzewski said he has coached his last USA national team, which he said Monday would take some getting used to after settling in as head coach the past 10 years.
Only the athletes receive Olympic gold medals, but Krzyzewski said USA Basketball gives the US coaches replica medals.
“To be alongside Coach K, he sacrificed so much of his time, his family, coming from a collegiate level instilling his trust into NBA players and being the face of US basketball”. Then, you switch to another channel where you’ll probably have more enjoyment watching reruns of I Love Lucy. Once again, people said the world caught up and that AAU players would never be able compete against fundamentally sound global players. I’ve learned from the worldwide community.
All of the aforementioned 11 NBA players are in the Pro Basketball Hall of Fame, while Laettner has been enshrined in the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.
The results could not have been better.
Krzyzewski’s ability to create an environment where National Basketball Association stars can enjoy one another as teammates and learn from each other, plus face a unique challenge and represent the USA’s historic hoops tradition, which could see its record number of Olympic golds grow to 15 in all. “It’s bigger than just coming here and playing basketball”. We’d have one someplace, but this was a lot of games that were very hard. “We’re creating a chemistry with one another”.
After superstars such as Lebron James, Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook and Kobe Bryant opted not to play this year in Rio, the team had to rely on younger members to carry the workload.
“But when you’re around these players, they are the best”.
Team USA, the Olympic favorite every year since 1992, when the “Dream Team” went to Barcelona and National Basketball Association players began to fill the roster, had to respond, to win.
“This one was a different journey”, Krzyzewski said.
The last USA points of the first half came after a four-pass sequence around the perimeter with at least two extra passes that got the ball back in Durant’s hands for a wide-open 3-pointer to put the United States up 52-29 and leave the Serbians dizzy.
Carmelo Anthony also picked up his third gold to go with a bronze, becoming the most decorated male in Olympic basketball history.
Now there’s nothing left to do for Anthony, whose Olympic career began in disgrace and ends with him being the most decorated player to ever wear a U.S. jersey.
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Other players could follow James’ lead, and it’s very possible more will make themselves available for Team USA.
