Team USA's seventh-place finish in the 2019 FIBA World Cup is bound to be a thorn in the side of USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo, who noted this underwhelming performance in competition will bother him until next year's Olympics:
“There has not been any disappointment around USA Basketball in a while,” Colangelo told Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated. “This will bother me until the 2020 Olympics.”
For the first time since 2002, the Americans fell short of the medal stand, finishing at the lowest spot since USA Basketball was allowed to bring in NBA players into international competition.
Colangelo was visibly upset with the results, soon saying he will keep mental notes about those players who chose to turn down the opportunity to play with Team USA this summer after initially giving them the nod. However, in the wake of these results, Colangelo won't have the luxury of playing the role of a scorned lover, as USA Basketball's primary order is to field the best-possible team to regain its “rightful” spot in the world standings.
Players like Damian Lillard and Draymond Green are already planning to make themselves available for the upcoming summer, and if Colangelo can hold national pride over his own, he would be wise to welcome them into the fold if he hopes to erase the pain of utter disappointment.
American players value Olympic glory over most other international competitions, so surely the stars will come out to try to add a gold medal to their already long list of accolades. If Colangelo is willing to put this unfortunate summer behind him, he could wear another one around his neck as well.
Follow Us
Subscribe