US basketball team head coach Steve Kerr said they will go for nothing less than a gold medal when they visit the Philippine shores for the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
He also sent a chilly warning to the opposition.
“My staff and I are thrilled to have the opportunity to coach such talented, team-oriented players,” Kerr said.
“I’m confident this group will represent our country well, with effort, talent, and a commitment to winning together. We look forward to competing for a gold medal in the World Cup later this summer.”
By putting together a roster of the new generation of NBA stars, Kerr in effect said that Spain and Argentina, along with the rest of the field, will now have company.
Four years ago, the Americans, coached by Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs and bannered by NBA stars Harrison Barnes, Donovan Mitchell, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Kris Middleton, and Kemba Walker, were tossed around in the crucial stage of the tournament.
They were bumped off a podium finish by France 89-79 in the quarterfinals and edged by Serbia 94-89 in the 5th to 8th classification before beating Poland 87-74 for 7th place.
But with Kerr calling the shots this time, assisted by Los Angeles Clippers’ Tyronn Lue, Miami Heat’s Erik Spoelstra, and Gonzaga University’s Mark Few, Team USA looks to fare much better as it kicks off the Group Phase against New Zealand on August 26, Greece on August 28, and Jordan on August 30, all at 8:40 p.m. at the SM MOA Arena in Pasay City.
Packed with top-tier emerging NBA stars, USA’s roster will consist of 20-year-old reigning NBA Rookie of the Year Paolo Banchero of the Orlando Magic, Mikal Bridges (Brooklyn Nets), Jalen Brunson (New York Knicks), Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves), Tyrese Haliburton (Indiana Pacers), Josh Hart (New York Knicks), Brandon Ingram (New Orleans Pelicans), Jaren Jackson Jr. (Memphis Grizzlies), Cam Johnson (Brooklyn Nets), Walker Kessler (Utah Jazz), Bobby Portis (Milwaukee Bucks), and Austin Reaves (Los Angeles Lakers).
In opening its campaign against the New Zealand Tall Blacks, Team USA will have one less big thorn to worry about: Six-foot-11 center Steven Adams. The Grizzlies center suffered a knee injury early this year, which ruled him out of Memphis’ NBA playoff series against the LA Lakers and shut down talks about making an appearance in the World Cup.
“We were having good and productive conversations with Steven earlier, and he was considering a lot of things, but he suffered a pretty serious knee injury. We just wish him all the best to get back on his feet and to play again in his next NBA season,” said New Zealand coach Pero Cameron.
The same could be said of Greece, unless two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, of the Milwaukee Bucks, recovers swiftly from surgery reportedly to “clean up loose cartilage in his left knee” and joins his brothers Kostas and Thanasis in the Greek team’s bid to improve on their 11th-place finish in the 2019 World Cup.
“He had routine surgery on his left knee, and it went great,” Bucks coach Adrian Griffin said. “Everything went as planned, and we expect him back ready to go in training camp.”
The US-Jordan game, meanwhile, is expected to have a sprinkling of hometown flavor that is worth sampling should the Jordanians complete the naturalization process for NBA journeyman Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, who had a six-year stint with the Brooklyn Nets, Toronto Raptors, and Portland Trail Blazers before leading the TNT Tropang Giga to the PBA Governors’ Cup championship last April.
Backing up Jefferson, if he secures his papers, would be point guard Freddy Ibrahim, Ahmad Alhamarsheh, 34-year-old star Dar Tucker, big man Ahmad Al Dwairi, and World Cup veterans Mohammad Hussein, 39-year-old Zaid Abbas, as well as Sami Bzai, Amin Abu Hawwas, and Hashem Abbas.
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