Giant team for the 2024 Olympics?
Star coach Kerr sobers up US basketball
September 9, 2023, 10:01 a.m
The USA basketball players squander another World Cup gold medal. They lost to Germany in a spectacular semi-final. Head coach Steve Kerr calls on the country, which is used to success, to be realistic. And the first rumors about the squad for the Olympics are making the rounds.
For successful coach Steve Kerr, the USA’s dominance in international basketball is history after another World Cup exit. “It’s not 1992 anymore. The players around the world are better, the teams are getting better. It’s not that easy to win a World Cup or an Olympic Games anymore,” said Kerr after his national team’s 111:113 defeat against Germany . The surprising exit in the semi-finals on Friday means the top favorites’ second consecutive World Championships without gold. In 1992, the so-called “dream team” around Michael Jordan dominated all opponents.
Kerr, who has collected four titles in the NBA as a coach and five as a player, praised the strong performance of the Germans around captain Dennis Schröder. “They were just fantastic. Every time we had a run, they converted a great shot. I’m proud of my boys for how they fought and gave us one last chance. We didn’t make it,” said the 57th -year-old after the big spectacle in Manila. On Sunday (10:30 a.m.) it’s still up for bronze against Canada.
In the basketball country, which is used to success, debates immediately began about who would have to play in Paris in 2024. At the Olympics, US basketball players usually field stronger teams than at the World Championships because of the higher priority. In addition to superstar Kevin Durant, Jayson Tatum and Devin Booker also played in Tokyo in 2021. The names of Stephen Curry (35) and LeBron James (38) are pure speculation at this point. “We are a unique team, but we also have a deep pool of talent who all deserve to wear this jersey,” said Kerr about the future composition. Qualification for the Olympics has already been achieved with the World Cup performance.