Australian superstar Patty Mills is not backing down from the challenge as his Team Australia is set to battle it out against Team USA in the semis of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Hours before their intense match-up, Mills firmly believes that his undefeated Australian squad has what it takes to eliminate Kevin Durant, Damian Lillard, and the rest of the American national team.
“We’re well experienced,” said Mills (via Fox Sports Australia). “We’ve been to this stage many a time and haven’t crossed the line. But we’ve bottled those experiences up, and I think we’re well prepared for this moment and for this stage to make the next step.”
Team Australia, which is currently ranked as number four in the world in terms of the FIBA world rankings, has yet to accomplish a podium finish since the Melbourne Games in 1956. They've made it to four bronze medal matches since but, so far, they've failed to bring home any silverware. But, Mills believes that this might be the best opportunity they have.
“There’s a togetherness and a camaraderie within the extended group and a focus that is sharp on what we’re trying to achieve here,” he added. “And that collective unit together, it’s powerful. It’s a culture thing, it’s an Australian spirit thing, it’s doing it for the greater good, and we understand who we’re doing it for.”
On paper, Team USA has been the favorite to win it all in Tokyo. But as we've seen so far, international competitions such as the Olympics are way more than just NBA All-Star nods and MVP trophies. The USA and Australia semi-finals match tips off at 9:15 PM PDT.
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