The U.S. Olympic basketball groups have been one of many surest issues within the historical past of sports activities. Since 1932, the U.S. women and men have misplaced a grand complete of 9 video games in Olympic competiton, successful gold on 25 events.
Yesterday, each groups realized an vital lesson only a week earlier than the Paris Olympics. That lesson: “You’ll be able to’t simply present up.”
The boys’s Olympic staff, chock stuffed with million-dollar professionals and future Corridor-of-Famers, discovered themselves down at halftime towards a staff representing South Sudan, which solely grew to become a nation a couple of decade and a half in the past. With out veteran Kevin Durant, the U.S. nonetheless was in a position to pull again even and received the sport within the last 10 seconds on a LeBron James layup.
At the very least the boys obtained a win.
The ladies, on Saturday night time, fell adrift 20 factors towards a WNBA all-star staff together with rookie sensations Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark, in addition to veterans like Arike Ogunbuwole, who took the sport MVP with 34 factors.
In fact, a part of the story right here is the truth that USA Basketball seemingly had its 12 gamers picked months earlier than the official announcement, and subsequently might afford to pick nice servants of this system equivalent to guard Diana Taurasi, who’s going for her sixth Olympic gold medal.
As we’ve stated earlier than, the ladies’s senior basketball staff may very well be essentially the most tough U.S. staff to make, given the standard of home competitors in addition to the glut of celebrity gamers in each the WNBA and the faculty sport. Many columnists and writers are prone to make commentaries about whether or not the WNBA All-Stars ought to have, in entire or partially, made the Olympic aspect.
In fact, I believe there isn’t one other staff worldwide which is probably going to have the ability to match the Olympians when it comes to athleticism, measurement, and shotmaking.
Besides the WNBA All-Stars.
Which makes me surprise if there must be extra of the sort of all-star competitions in future years.
