The United States of America suffered a painful elimination from the semi-finals of the Basketball World Cup, knowing defeat by 113-111 from Germany. Somehow, Team USA fell short of the final and a gold medal for the second consecutive event.
Speaking after the match, US Federal coach, Steve Kerr, referred to this defeat, but also to the pride he feels for his team, stressing at the same time that the last thirty years basketball has evolved, globalization has come to the field, which makes it difficult for the US to be the absolute favorite as in the past.
Steve Kerr’s statements in detail:
“Congratulations to Germany, they were fantastic and deserved to win. Every time we got there, he had a big play, a basket, a rebound. He did what he had to do. I am proud of my players, they fought and we had our chances in the final. The main issue was that we didn’t make them feel us in defense. Kudos to Dennis Schroeder, he’s tough to tackle, quick and penetrating. We also made some mistakes. It sounds crazy, but you have to boxout from the start of the match. Obst did a lot of damage to us, we couldn’t contain him.
Schröder attacked, put pressure on our defense, we have to admit that. I am realistic, I love USA basketball, our players enjoy it. It’s different, it’s unique, we have a deep talent pool. Coaches must have this honor to wear the USA national team jersey. It’s a great experience for all the players, I love the international competition. This team deserved to win the championship, we just didn’t get it. As a coach I know what team I had and I say it was an incredible team that wanted to represent the country properly. I couldn’t be more proud of these guys.
The game has evolved, it has become globalized in the last 30 years. It’s not 1992, these games are tough. The teams are better and it is not easy to win the World Cup. Serbia doesn’t need my advice, they’re doing great.”
Source: Sport Fm
I am currently a news writer for News Bulletin247 where I mostly cover sports news. I have always been interested in writing and it is something I am very passionate about. In my spare time, I enjoy reading and spending time with my family and friends.
