They probably haven't been this happy since Napoleon was defeated at Waterloo. But then again... Their favorite sporting symbol is a chicken (although, some call it a rooster).
Posted on 09/11/2019 10:04:21 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Team USA saw its 58-game winning streak in international tournaments featuring NBA players end Wednesday with an 89-79 loss to France in the quarterfinals of the FIBA World Cup in Dongguan, China, ensuring USA Basketball cannot medal.
Team USA’s last loss with NBA players on its roster came against Greece in the semifinals of the 2006 world championships. The Americans rebounded to win gold at the Beijing Olympics two years later and also won the two Olympic tournaments that followed. They already had qualified for next year’s Summer Games in Tokyo.
The composition of Team USA’s roster at those Olympics remains to be seen. Virtually all of the NBA’s top American stars elected to skip the World Cup, which FIBA moved to an odd year for the first time since the 1960s. Former NBA Commissioner David Stern called that move “a mistake.”
“As a result, you are asking players to play in the FIBA world championship, play in the season and then play in the Olympics,” he told the Undefeated’s Marc J. Spears in an interview published Tuesday. “And I think that pushed a lot of players to feel that they should make a choice between back-to-back years of international competition. And that’s it.”
Donovan Mitchell scored 29 points for the United States against France, but all of them came in the first three quarters. In the fourth, Team USA squandered a seven-point lead and went scoreless over six consecutive possessions at one point.
Both teams gave up leads in the second half. France led by 10 early in the third quarter but the Americans countered with a 31-14 run over the next 10 minutes to take a five-point lead.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
The French team has 5 players playing in the NBA. On eof them, Rudy Gobert is NBA’s defensive player of the year.
Hahahahahaha.
At least we don’t have to hear about them turning down a visit to the White House.
France could win the World Cup in Soccer and Basketball, not too bad.
Popovich’s fault. Trump Curse!
Thugball no longer wins basketball tournaments.
Way to go, Pop....you jerk.
They probably haven't been this happy since Napoleon was defeated at Waterloo. But then again... Their favorite sporting symbol is a chicken (although, some call it a rooster).
Amen to that!
Some people lost something.
Gonna need another Million Man March!..................
No, actually I'm the embarrassment. - Greg Popovich
RE: Way to go, Pop....you jerk.
well, at least we won’t have to see the self-serving jerks give the finger to the White House should they be invited ( NOT ).
Winning....of a sort....
Just like how much of the world caught up to Canada in ice hockey. It’s inevitable.
Are the rules different from the NBA and does that matter?
I used to root for our teams on the national stage, but now- many are infested with such jerks- THEY are the ones that have become an embarrassment to our country!
Show me a truly patriotic team, and I will root for them every time!
Even show me a neutral team- non vocal about politics, and I’ll root for them every time!
That’s gotta hurt! Nothing better than to see a leftwing POS like Pop take it on the chin. I suppose he will blame Trump.
RE: Are the rules different from the NBA and does that matter?
Well, for one, this is not a best of 7 playoff game, when you lose, you are eliminated.
Also, in the international games, it’s only 40 minutes and a possible 5 minute overtime vs. the NBA which is 48 minutes and a 5 minute overtime.
In the international game, you are allowed only 5 fouls and you’re out. In the NBA you are allowed 6 fouls.
In the international games, the zone defense is legal. In the NBA zone defense is also legal but defensive player may not stay in the lane (a.k.a. key, restricted area) for longer than three seconds if he is not actively guarding an opponent.
There are others, but these are the major differences.
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