U.S. Men Waltz To Gold In Basketball

During this year’s run, he also became the USA men’s all-time leader in points, rebounds and games.

Serbia however also brought a considerable basketball pedigree to the gold medal game, having been part of the former Yugoslavia, once a European basketball power. Those struggles were on display early, when Serbia jumped out to a 14-12 lead.

“And everybody else who’ve been a part of this situation, who’ve been a part of U.S. [basketball] since I’ve been here”.

In a re-match of the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup Final, the two-time reigning World and Olympic champions rode the outside shooting of Kevin Durant and the powerful inside play of DeMarcus Cousins to turn a 19-15 lead at the end of the first quarter into a commanding 52-29 halftime advantage. While Team USA racked up 33 points in the quarter, they held the Serbs to only 14. Their 30-point margin of victory is the largest of any men’s Olympic basketball final.

Kevin Durant and Team USA walked into Carioca Arena on Sunday at the 2016 Rio Olympics with a lot to ponder.

Durant’s teammate, Carmelo Anthony of the New York Knicks, made his own piece of Olympic history with the victory, becoming the first basketballer to win three gold medals. On both ends of the floor, it was the Americans’ most complete game of the tournament.

“I’m excited for me but also for the other guys who never experienced anything like this”, he said. “It’s not just how they’ve played, but how they acted and how unselfish they were”.

After the final buzzer sounded and the U.S. had won by the largest margin in a gold medal game since the original Dream Team throttled Croatia by 32 in Barcelona, the players draped themselves in American flags and celebrated with the many United States of America fans near courtside before parading into the tunnel. “And I stuck with it, we stuck with it, and I’m here today, three gold medals later”. “He took responsibility for the loss and gave credit to the Greek team and we’ve built on that”.

They weren’t the Dream Team, or even the Redeem Team – not even close.

After being the center of the National Basketball Association world in signing with the Golden State Warriors in free agency, he displayed why he is one of the best talents in the world in carrying the workload for Team USA in their final game.

Anthony fought back tears during his interview with NBC moments after Team USA won its third straight gold medal with a 96-66 blowout against Serbia on Sunday.

“I think the way these players have felt, they’re given an opportunity to play for their country and you make the most of it”. Each of the 12 guys can do that. They are capable of that. George missed 76 games of the following National Basketball Association season but was able to make his way back to the floor despite the leg break.

Djordjevic added that his team should be happy with the silver medal despite the lopsided score. “They’re better. They showed that tonight”.