LONDON, ENG.—The United States men’s national team narrowly defeated the South Sudanese squad by a score of 101-100 on Saturday, barely avoiding a major upset. Joel Embiid’s defense was notably lackluster, allowing Wenyen Gabriel to shine as if he were a superstar.
One issue? The coaching.
The United States, coached by Steve Kerr, appeared disorganized, effectively giving up a free shoot-around to South Sudan in the first half. Is this the best coaching America can offer? No wonder the Warriors’ dynasty has ended. Despite having some of the best basketball players in the world, the team struggled with communication, often chasing the ball in a disjointed manner, almost like a game of keep-away with South Sudan. Maybe this lack of cohesion is why Michael Jordan once punched Kerr—who knows.
“I like games like that,” LeBron said after the game.
He was referring to not blowing out the opponent, but come on, LeBron… it’s South Sudan.
Charles Barkley once famously quipped while playing for the 1992 Dream Team in the Olympics, “I don’t know anything about Angola, but Angola is in trouble.”
Patriotism. Different legacies.
Hopefully, Steve Kerr and the United States team can regroup before the important games in Paris. They will face Germany on Monday in an exhibition game in London.
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