Even though Team USA has already secured their place in the second round of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023, they show no signs of slowing down, especially considering what transpired with powerhouse France.
Ranked 5th in the world, France was placed in Group H in Jakarta, Indonesia, alongside Canada, Latvia, and Lebanon.
The Les Blues had a challenging start to the tournament, suffering a resounding 95-65 defeat against the Road Warriors. However, the biggest blow was yet to come.
Facing a Latvian team without NBA superstar Kristaps Porzingis, France led for an impressive 37 minutes and 53 seconds of game time.
In contrast, Latvia only held the lead for a mere 37 seconds. Unfortunately for France, those final 37 seconds witnessed a stunning upset, as Latvia emerged victorious in the endgame, securing an 88-86 win and eliminating the European powerhouse led by Rudy Gobert and Nicolas Batum.
(C) FIBA.basketball
Reflecting on these developments, USA head coach Steve Kerr commented, “The level of competition is so much better now worldwide than it was than eight years ago.
“A lot of really good talent around the world, lot of really good coaching.”
He emphasized how basketball has evolved into a global phenomenon and acknowledged the elevated competition levels worldwide.
Meanwhile, South Sudan achieved their inaugural World Cup victory with a convincing 20-point lead over China, sealing an 89-69 win at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
In Okinawa, Japan, Cape Verde also celebrated their first-ever triumph on the world stage, securing an 81-75 victory against Venezuela.
(C) FIBA.basketball
Kerr, who is experiencing his first World Cup coaching role in addition to his position as the head coach of the Golden State Warriors, remarked, “The level of competition worldwide is far higher now than it was eight years ago. There is a wealth of exceptional talent and coaching globally.”
Currently ranked 2nd, Team USA is set to face Lithuania and Montenegro in Group J during the second round. The team, laden with NBA talent, has dominated their first two Group C matches, winning by an average of 27.5 points.
“Teams are tough. Teams are good. We gonna have to play well over 40 minutes to win and so we’re really excited to win the first two and guarantee ourselves a move to the next round but we just keep going,” Kerr remarked.
“One game at a time and hopefully six more.”
