The only US male player to be chosen for four Olympic teams, Anthony became the first to win three golds as the Americans saved their best for last and crushed Serbia 96-66 on Sunday.
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It was the 27-year-old Durant – earning his second Olympic gold with the win – who led the team all through the contest, greatly aided by Kyrie Irving, who had won his second National Basketball Association ring with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and Kyle Lowry.
Carmelo Anthony after gold medal win: ‘I know this is the end.’
The first quarter ended close, but after that point the game was never in doubt.
This is the USA team’s 15th Olympic gold in 18 appearances, not counting the boycotted Moscow Olympics. And given the work that’s been done over the last 11 years or so, it’s hard to imagine USA Basketball taking a step back anytime soon.
Durant started a 9-0 run which woke up the team and the U.S. led 52-29 by half-time as Durant raised his tally to 24 points thanks to five more three-pointers and two slam dunks. “I won’t be [the managing director]”, Krzyzewski said at Raleigh-Durham International Airport Monday. He became more than just a player whose talents seem to perfectly suit the global game. Despite his proximity to U.S. Olympic history, he was non-committal on his participation in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
Krzyzewski, 69, will hand the reins to San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich as he leaves Team USA after almost 11 years and with a 24-0 record in the Olympics.
They weren’t the Dream Team, or even the Redeem Team – not even close. Often referred to as ‘Coach K, ‘ both Irving and Krzyzewski finally had the chance to enjoy a championship together. I just want to say thank you for allowing me to be one of the leaders, not just of our team but of the country. “We beat these guys by three last time, so we just raised our level of intensity”. For the first time since 2004, many top American players opted to skip the Olympics, forcing them to bring some here who wouldn’t have been considered otherwise.
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Earlier, Spain edged Australia 89-88 to take home the bronze.
