Team USA’s Carmelo Anthony walks off the court following basketball practice at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro on August 4. The men’s and women’s team will be staying.
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The players reportedly left quickly.
DeMarcus Cousins, center right, and Carmelo Anthony, of the United States men’s basketball team, board the Silver Cloud cruise ship upon arriving for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2016.
With Kevin Durant and Carmelo Anthony the lone returning Olympians, the US suited up ten Olympic neophytes in pursuit of their third straight Olympic gold medal. Kevin Durant led the USA with 25 points, 17 coming in the first half. With Geno Auriemma coaching a roster that includes Breanna Stewart, Brittney Griner, Diana Taurasi, Maya Moore, Sue Bird and Tina Charles it is hard to imagine anything but another gold. “It’s big, but not too big”. The embarrassment caused USA Basketball to drastically restructure its method of choosing and cultivating the national team.
In Rio de Janeiro’s Olympic Stadium, the Brazilian women’s team eased to a 3-0 victory at the start of its quest for a first Olympic gold. “If you don’t, you’ll get beat”.
“We’re focused on our goal”, Batum told FIBA.
Yes, the US men’s basketball team is staying on a cruise ship, with gorgeous views of Brazil’s attractive beaches. They held their first practice at the arena Thursday as they get their sea legs under them.
It’s the second time both teams will be housed on a cruise ship during the Olympics. “I said that I was interested because I never retired for a reason”. After the Americans missed their first five shots – hey, they trailed 2-0 once upon a time – Anthony sparked the run-away-and-hide ambush. “So this has kind of nearly been like normal for my Olympic experience”. “We won by a lot of points but they made us better”.
Basketball has been part of the Summer Olympics for 80 years, and over the course of 18 games, the United States has claimed 14 gold medals, one silver, two bronze, and failed to medal just once. While the Boomers are not among the gold medal contenders, they are not lacking firepower.
The Americans have won 69 straight games, and improved to 81-1 under coach Mike Krzyzewski, who revived the US program and plans to step down following these games.
“I think he’s the best man to fix the shower curtain because he’s exactly the right height, and I’m going to call on him to come to my room straight after this press conference”, she said.
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For any athlete in any sport, playing for their country in the Olympics is among the highest honors one can receive. “Once we get stops, everybody on this team is a hell of a scorer, so it’s unsafe once we start to get stops and get out”. But arguably none of them would even be selected for this U.S. Bogut said. “I was like, I don’t want it to end that way where I’m just sitting at home with ice on my knee if I can give it a crack”. “So to leave her out wouldn’t have made any sense”. And yet whatever promise China might have was lost in a flurry of long passes and dunks by the U.S. players, who seemed nearly to hold back rather than humiliate their vanquished opponent.
