SHANGHAI, CHINA—In an effort to prevent players from falling into a tribalistic mindset, head coach Gregg Popovich invited Tim Duncan Wednesday to address Team USA on the dangers of hypernationalism. “We’ve been hitting the fundamentals of colonialism pretty hard in practice, but I think Tim brings a unique player’s perspective on how phony rivalries between nations can be used to pit working people against each other,” said Popovich, explaining that Duncan’s previous experience playing for Team USA was a perfect example of striving for excellence without dividing people or diminishing outside voices. “This is a young team, so I think they’ll benefit from having a veteran like Duncan showing them how single-minded identification with your country can have dangerous consequences both at home and abroad. We have to respect all cultures, whether they’re playing zone or man-to-man defense. We’re here to prepare for the Olympics next year, not to spread imperialist propaganda.” At press time, a visibly frustrated Popovich forced the team to watch the documentary Ataturk after they narrowly avoided an overtime loss to Turkey.

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