After a dismal seventh-place finish in 2019, the United States men’s basketball team is determined to reclaim the gold medal in the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup, which will begin this Friday.
According to team captain Jalen Brunson, the members of the Steve Kerr-mentored Team USA have all agreed to set aside their egos to achieve their common goal in the competition.
“We have a lot of guys who come from different situations and play different styles of basketball, but here, ego is left on the door, and we just wanna win, and that’s the most important thing on our minds,” Brunson said.
“I think for the most part guys are smart. We all have one common goal, which is to win, and so when it comes to roles, we have figured out a way to kind of understand what the team needs at any given time,” added the New York Knicks guard.
“I think for us, roles can change any given night, and the guys just wanna win; the guys just wanna put each other in positions where we can be successful, and so we have a talented group, we have a smart group,” he further said.
Aside from Brunson, also part of Team USA are Anthony Edwards, Tyrese Haliburton, Paolo Banchero, Brandon Ingram, Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, Josh Hart, Jaren Jackson Jr., Walker Kessler, Bobby Portis, and Austin Reaves.
Brunson acknowledged the pressure on the young Team USA to regain the FIBA World Cup championship, but he and his teammates aim to not let it affect them.
“For me personally, there’s no such thing as pressure. I’ve figured out that as long as I continue working hard on my game, putting everything I can into what I do, my craft, there’s no such thing as pressure,” said Brunson.
“I think for the team, we’re gonna rely on each other when moments like that happen. We’re all we have, and that’s all we can worry about,” he added.
