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Boston Celtics point guard Kemba Walker wasn't shaken when asked of recent pointed comments made by Serbian national team coach Aleksandar “Sasha” Djordjevic about the potential of matching up against what some teams are viewing as a vulnerable Team USA.
“Let's let them play their basketball and we will play ours and if we meet, may God help them,” said Djordjevic, according to Eurohoops.net and Mozzart Sport.
The Americans have a sense of fragility after many household names turned down an invitation to take part in this FIBA 2019 World Cup process, resulting in a young and relatively inexperienced roster with players that have yet to fill out their bodies entirely.
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Yet Walker didn't blink when posed with those comments.
“I could care less, man,” Walker told ESPN's Dave McMenamin. “Honestly, we're going to take it one game at a time. At the end of the day, we both have to make it to a certain place for us to even play each other.”
“I guess when we get there, if we match up, then we'll see what's up. But it's fine. I'm fine with a little bit of trash talking. I don't mind it at all.”
Trash talk of this kind is commonplace in European competition, even if it does ruffle some feathers at the world stage. Yet head coach Gregg Popovich has plenty of experience at the international level, including a past dance with Team USA as Larry Brown's assistant in 2004.
Shall the two team meet, expect Serbia to be extra physical and try to contain Team USA's fast break attack with fouls and tough play all around.
