LAS VEGAS (AP) 鈥� There鈥檚 something that Kobe Bryant once said that has stuck with U.S. men鈥檚 Olympic basketball coach Steve Kerr and seems especially important now.
It was about how other nations have made big strides in basketball, how the gap between the rest of the world and the U.S. is closing and how that鈥檚 been a great thing for the NBA. And Bryant鈥檚 response, paraphrased, was basically, 鈥渟o what?鈥�
His point: If everyone else is getting better, then the U.S. better find ways to do the same.
鈥淢aybe we鈥檒l show that one to the guys,鈥� Kerr said. 鈥淚 love that. And it has to be our attitude this summer.鈥�
After months of planning, it鈥檚 time for the U.S. Olympic team 鈥� one that will go to the Paris Games later this month seeking a fifth consecutive gold medal 鈥� to take the floor. The first practice for the squad is Saturday, the start of a four-day training camp before its exhibition opener against Canada on Wednesday.
Players began arriving Thursday in Las Vegas; Stephen Curry was the first to check in for camp, perhaps underscoring how anxious he is for what will be his first Olympics. The 12 players have all known each other for years, but the task of becoming a team starts in earnest Saturday.
鈥淚 feel like it starts when it gets there, because that鈥檚 when you really see each other eye-to-eye,鈥� said Bam Adebayo, who is seeking his second gold medal after winning one at the Tokyo Games three years ago. 鈥淵ou have those conversations, you have those many conversations within what we鈥檙e going through, what we鈥檙e trying to do. And that鈥檚 when it鈥檚 time to really be honest about what we want to do.鈥�
That part is easy: Win gold.
The how-to-do-it part, that鈥檚 the key.
Last year brought another humbling World Cup experience for the U.S.; after finishing seventh in 2019, the Americans were fourth at Manila. But the argument 鈥� or justification, for lack of a better word 鈥� for those stumbles was that the U.S. wasn鈥檛 sending the best possible roster to those tournaments. Getting the big names like Kevin Durant and LeBron James for the Olympics, that鈥檚 one thing. Getting them for the World Cup and asking them to represent their country in back-to-back summers, that鈥檚 something else.
Tyrese Haliburton and Anthony Edwards were on that World Cup team last summer and were picked for this Olympic team as well.
鈥淥bviously, last year we didn鈥檛 do what we wanted to do,鈥� Haliburton said. 鈥淎nd that was frustrating because any time you get to represent USA Basketball, the expectation is to win. And we weren鈥檛 able to do that.鈥�
This team was put together with a very different ending in mind. James is back on the Olympic team for the first time since 2012 and seeking a third gold, Durant is going for what would be a men鈥檚 Olympic record fourth basketball gold, and five other players 鈥� Adebayo, Devin Booker, Jrue Holiday, Jayson Tatum and Anthony Davis 鈥� each have one. The first-time Olympians are Haliburton, Edwards, Curry, Kawhi Leonard and Joel Embiid, someone who the U.S. convinced to play despite a strong push by France for the Philadelphia star to represent the host nation in Paris.
As far as choosing a starting lineup, good luck.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a good problem to have,鈥� Kerr said. 鈥淚鈥檓 guessing that all 12 players on this roster will be in the Hall of Fame someday. So, how do you pick five out of 12? The idea is, you find combinations that click, and you find two-way lineups that can be effective at both ends. Our big job in Las Vegas is to find five-man combinations that fit and to just ask all 12 guys to fully commit to the goal of winning a gold medal no matter what it looks like, no matter who鈥檚 playing.鈥�
The Americans play their first exhibition against Canada in Las Vegas, then have games at Abu Dhabi (against Australia and Serbia) and London (against South Sudan and Germany) before the Paris Games start. The U.S. opens Olympic play July 28 against Serbia and will also have group games against South Sudan and the winner of Sunday鈥檚 qualifier in Puerto Rico 鈥� either Mexico, Lithuania, Italy or Puerto Rico.
鈥淲e鈥檝e got 39 days or so to get locked in to go get this gold medal, 12 amazing, talented guys ready to come together for one goal,鈥� Curry said when he arrived to check in for camp. 鈥淚鈥檓 hyped for it all.鈥�
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AP Summer Olympics:
Tim Reynolds, The Associated Press
