Team USA doesn't have the highest levels of confidence at the moment. They don't have their usual firepower as stars opted out; they also narrowly were at the receiving end of one of the tournament's biggest upsets. Gregg Popovich decided to do something about that.
If the team was to win the gold medal in China, they have to rely on each other and build trust among the pool of players he has gathered. He brought a San Antonio Spurs tradition to the team in the form of the Pop Quiz.
NBA.com's Joseph Schuhmann reported that he would gather the 12-man team around and grill them with questions about geography, world cultures, science and more. Through this activity, he's getting the players to bond and not think about the pressure the entire world has put on their shoulders for a while.
Team USA assistant and Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr emphasized the importance of the Pop Quiz in the international setting:
“There's a lot of other stuff going on besides basketball,” USA assistant coach Steve Kerr added. “When you're playing in the World Cup, it takes on a different meaning, playing against teams from all over the world. It's good for these guys, for all of us, to learn more about the world and learn more about the teams we're playing. It keeps guys on their toes, but I think they enjoy it too.”
Of course, some fans would rather have the team prioritize memorizing how the Japanese team will play and which players they should smother. However, getting the squad in a good mental state would benefit Pop and his team more than unnecessarily stressing them out.
Fans can expect a much better performance from the Stars and Stripes after their terrifying brush with defeat against Turkey.
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