Team USA Articles - Page 31

Houston Rockets forward PJ Tucker compared the role he had playing for Team USA with the one he has for his NBA team — a similar proposition given that not much has changed in his style of play: “It’s the same and it’s different,” said Tucker, according to Kelly Iko of The Athletic. “I think […]

Team USA forward Jayson Tatum is looking forward to an upcoming matchup against Australia, which means going against former teammate Aron Baynes, who was traded to the Phoenix Suns in the offseason. The two former teammates spent two years with the Boston Celtics and likely matched up against one another from time to time in […]

Team USA managing director Jerry Colangelo wants USA Basketball to win with “defense and rebounding” since they don’t have a “Kevin Durant-type player.” Team USA doesn’t have a superstar on it who can take over games. The roster has some good scorers on it, headlined by Donovan Mitchell and Kemba Walker, but no one with […]

Phoenix Suns big man Aron Baynes is expecting a battle in the upcoming two games the Australian national team will endure against a younger rendition of Team USA, one that has been doubted and counted out after a wave of dropouts from this 2019 FIBA World Cup opportunity. Baynes noted the Americans won’t be an […]

Team USA is quickly approaching a back-to-back affair against the Australian national team, where Boston Celtics teammates Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown will see a familiar face in Aron Baynes. The Aussie mauler has always been fond of the two young players, who now embark in a mission to prove doubters wrong after more than […]

Team USA will soon embark on a big challenge to face the best every country has to offer in the upcoming 2019 FIBA World Cup. Less than two weeks before its start in Aug. 31, the Americans have plenty of positives, but also some concerns they should first clean up before taking on group play. […]

Boston Celtics point guard Kemba Walker is coming into the Team USA experience as one of the most experienced NBA veterans. Walker is embracing a leadership role as the team’s likely starting point guard, looking to build chemistry alongside his teammates in a short period of time. Due to the nature of this summer, USA […]

USA Basketball officials were stunned to learn that Sacramento Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox had chosen to remove his name from consideration for the final 12-man roster only hours before the team’s flight took off for Australia on Saturday morning, according to Marc Stein of The New York Times. Fox said he made the decision […]

Team USA will face its next test against the Australian national team, the first of two exhibition tilts against the Boomers at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne. Point guard Kemba Walker and head coach Gregg Popovich know why this friendly preparation game was scheduled, aware of the toughness and ultra-competitive nature of international basketball. The Aussies […]

Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton is looking forward to Thursday night’s game, in which Team USA will face up against the Australian national team — anxious to see his former teammate Matthew Dellavedova, who has marked this game in his calendar for a long time. Dellavedova, who was part of a three-team trade that saw […]

Spain’s Marc Gasol isn’t worried about USA Basketball’s motivation heading into the FIBA 2019 World Cup, despite the series of dropouts in the rostering process, keenly aware that the critics’ skepticism could fuel Team USA into success. “I’m sure that it’s going to fuel them,” Gasol said of the loud skepticism increasingly endured by the […]

Team USA arrived in Melbourne, Australia after the first exhibition game since their customary White vs. Blue scrimmage in Las Vegas, besting Spain 90-81 on Friday. Head coach Gregg Popovich got to work with his team immediately, hoping his team would get a good meal, rest and shake out the jet lag on the court […]

Gregg Popovich couldn’t help but commend the Spanish men’s national basketball team for their excellent play in yesterday’s scrimmage with Team USA. Although the Americans triumphed over the Spaniards 90-81, Pop, who will be coaching Team USA in the FIBA World Cup, had high praises for their opponents. He said that he liked Spain’s teamwork, […]

Team USA head coach Gregg Popovich is not looking forward to making the last cut on the USA roster. Team USA is taking 13 guys to Australia, but will only take 12 to China for the FIBA World Cup. The Team USA roster is currently headlined by Harrison Barnes, Jaylen Brown, Joe Harris, Kyle Kuzma, Brook Lopez, Khris Middleton, Donovan Mitchell, Mason […]

Sacramento Kings small forward Harrison Barnes says Team USA is “motivated more than anything to keep the gold standard going.” Because Team USA doesn’t have any superstars on it like before, a lot of critics believe the team might not bring home the gold once the FIBA World Cup starts. Barnes, the lone holdover from […]

While watching his fellow Americans dispatch of the Spanish national team in an exhibition on Friday night, Marcus Smart expressed full-throated optimism about being healthy enough to play in the FIBA World Cup. Less than 24 hours later, that unwavering confidence of Boston Celtics guard has proven well-founded. According to Marc Stein of The New […]

Following a eyebrow-raising defeat a couple of days ago in a highly-publicized scrimmage match, Team USA quickly made amends by securing a 90-81 victory against Spain in another tune-up game. Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell was Team USA’s main man, as he led the squad to a much-needed victory with 13 points and four rebounds […]

Every single one of the players who withdrew from consideration for Team USA this summer did so with injury risk in mind. Still, it goes without saying that no one was surprised when PJ Tucker took a much different approach to playing for his country in the FIBA World Cup. The Houston Rockets forward was […]

LeBron James was never going to play in the FIBA World Cup. Kawhi Leonard has never suited for USA Basketball. Kevin Durant is recovering from surgery for a ruptured Achilles tendon, and the same goes for Paul George with regard to both his shoulders. Ever since USA Basketball was overhauled in the mid-2000s following a […]

Donovan Mitchell finally returned fire after a back-and-forth between he and Utah Jazz teammate Rudy Gobert appeared to cease after the Frenchman sent a warning shot for his younger counterpart earlier this month. Gobert warned that if his native France was to meet Team USA at some point during the upcoming FIBA 2019 World Cup, […]

Houston Rockets forward PJ Tucker was mic’d up at a recent Team USA scrimmage, showcasing the type of intensity and defensive awareness the three-and-D stud brings to the table in an everyday basis. Tucker’s a preacher of constant communication, so it’s no surprise the defensive stopped is clamoring for “overtalk” during these sessions. PJ Tucker […]

De’Aaron Fox is a likely pick to make Team USA’s roster heading into the FIBA 2019 World Cup, as he has impressed coaches and teammates alike with his blazing end-to-end speed and his development at the point guard position. Asked to pick his favorite iteration of any of the squad Team USA has trotted out […]

Los Angeles Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma is glad to have taken the call from Team USA to take part in training camp, as he’s already been learning the ropes of playing in multiple positions during his brief stint with USA Basketball. The rangy forward likes to have this versatility as a weapon, something he can […]

Houston Rockets forward PJ Tucker has taken notice as to how news of Team USA players losing to the Select Team, noting the context of the story wasn’t truly told. A five-on-five scrimmage that included Kemba Walker, Donovan Mitchell and Jayson Tatum lost a resounding 36-17 on Wednesday, failing to score during the last few […]

Kyle Kuzma has quickly found his role with Team USA, only less than two weeks since training camp started. The Los Angeles Lakers forward claims he’s figured out what will be his contribution to this team moving forward. “Defensive rebounding, that’s going to be my calling card with this team,” said Kuzma, according to USA […]

Team USA head coach Gregg Popovich recalled some of his own international experiences ahead of the FIBA 2019 World Cup, among them the way he was cut from a 1972 Olympic team. “I was devastated when I didn’t make it, ’cause anybody would be. They put me on an alternate team, we went to Brazil […]

Brooklyn Nets superstar small forward Kevin Durant addressed Team USA before practice on Thursday in El Segundo, California, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Durant is still recovering from the Achilles tear he suffered in the 2019 NBA Finals. The two-time Finals MVP was wearing a brace to stabilize his leg. KD was on the […]

By being on Team USA, Boston Celtics point guard Kemba Walker believes he’s accomplishing two things which are important for basketball players. Walker says his Team USA experience is “a great opportunity to show some leadership and also humble myself.” The new Celtics point guard is one of the leaders of this Team USA group. […]

The recently assembled Team USA got the work from a lineup mostly comprised of G League players in a heated Wednesday scrimmage, losing 36-17. According to reports, this didn’t happen once, but rather twice in the same day — a clear sign of worry for a team that was already viewed as fragile after numerous […]

De’Aaron Fox’s jump from the Select Team to Team USA’s senior team in a quest for a gold medal has been an opportunity unlike any other. The young Sacramento Kings point guard will get the chance to build off his most successful NBA season yet and use his time with USA Basketball as a perfect […]

Sacramento Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox already possesses a scary weapon with his burn-rubber end-to-end speed across the hardwood, but the Team USA call-up thinks he might have gotten even faster than last year. “I think I probably have gotten faster,” said the point guard who will enter his third NBA season, according to ESPN’s […]

Team USA participants have already started to be impressed with De’Aaron Fox and his blazing speed, a burst of end-to-end mobility and lateral quickness that has made him a blur to guard in practice. Boston Celtics newcomer Kemba Walker and teammate Marcus Smart are among the guards who have been wowed by this characteristic. “He […]

Los Angeles Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma admits that participating in the Team USA camp is more taxing than a regular training, but he believes it’s way better than playing pickup games this summer. Plenty of NBA stars withdrew from Team USA participation in order to prepare themselves for the upcoming NBA season. However, Kuzma thinks […]

Say what you will about Jeff Van Gundy’s sometimes outdated view of basketball when he’s commentating on television, the man can flat-out coach the game. Van Gundy was in the news on Wednesday after he coached the USA men’s national select team – the “JV squad” to Gregg Popovich’s “varsity team” – to two victories […]

The USA Men’s national basketball team is preparing for the FIBA World Cup, which is slated to begin over the course of the next few weeks. Multiple players were in line to make the final squad of 12 players, but perhaps head coach Gregg Popovich will change his tack after the primary team was soundly […]

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has enjoyed his time around Sacramento Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox with Team USA. Fox was the standout player at Team USA training camp in Las Vegas last week and is a virtual lock to make the 12-man roster which will compete at the FIBA World Cup in […]

Milwaukee Bucks small forward Khris Middleton says Team USA has “the group text going already” as they work on bonding. Team USA will take 12 players to China to compete in the FIBA World Cup. Since the majority of the players on the roster have no experience playing with each other, Middleton says it’s important […]

Team USA will enter FIBA World Cup competition later this month as overwhelming favorites to bring home gold, no matter who Gregg Popovich and company ultimately decide to take to China. The eye-popping result of a scrimmage between the 17-man roster competing to be on the national team and a group of fringe NBA players, […]

Team USA head coach Gregg Popovich wants to make sure that Patty Mills won’t be able to show off his skills when the Americans face the Australian national basketball team, the Boomers next weekend. As per Peter Mitchell of 7news.com.au, Popovich said that he plans to make sure that Mills eats a lot before the […]