2019-09-14T14:03:55+00:00

2019-09-14T14:03:55+00:00

2019-09-14T14:48:56+00:00.

By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net

BEIJING – Team USA finished seventh in the 2019 FIBA World Cup after Saturday’s win over Poland in its final consolation game.

Following the contest, head coach Gregg Popovich shared his take on the level of international basketball underlining that nobody should be ashamed for missing out on the gold medal at China.

“Some people want to play the blame game,” the 70-year-old coach stated. “There’s no blame to be placed anywhere like we should be ashamed because we didn’t win a gold medal. That’s a ridiculous attitude. It’s immature. It’s arrogant, and it shows whoever thinks that doesn’t respect all the other teams in the world. Their effort has been exceptional.”

“It’s not written in stone that the United States is supposed to walk to a championship,” he added, “I’m not sure what satisfaction there is in beating everybody by 30. I don’t’ see the joy or the glory or the satisfaction in any of that.”

“Everybody’s got a life. Things happen in people’s families. It could be injuries. This group, as I said, I couldn’t be happier with any other group,” Popovich also said, “What does USA Basketball have to do? “Keep going. We coach and they play, and we do our best. It’s not like something has to be changed.”

“Some of these guys have been playing together eight, nine, ten years,” he commented referring to other World Cup national teams before returning to Team USA, “This group would just continue to improve, I think it’s hard to argue with having just gotten together and never having played together before.”

“The better teams are in the final” Popovich added on Sunday’s championship game between Spain and Argentina, afterward admitted on Team USA’s defeat to France in the quarterfinals, “France was better than us. We lost and now move forward.”

Photo Credit: FIBA.BASKETBALL

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