San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich admitted he was feeling the pressure afterward, but even as he weathered early adversity at the helm of Team USA basketball for the Tokyo Olympics, the American squad accomplished the ultimate goal.
Superstars Kevin Durant and Draymond Green took to Instagram live after Team USA’s 87-82 triumph over France in the gold-medal game to defend the squad, as Complex Sports documented (warning: video contains inappropriate language):
“I had to talk to my sh*t real quick”
— Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) August 7, 2021
KD and Draymond letting the doubters have it! pic.twitter.com/htDBi1A2vt
Durant is notably active on social media — some would argue to his own detriment. However, KD was well within his rights to talk smack, considering he’s earning the nickname “Captain America” for his legendary Olympic resume.
In addition to becoming Team USA’s all-time leading scorer in Tokyo, Durant added to his legacy with yet another sensational gold-medal game performance. He scored 29 points to lead all players, and even as he blasted those who criticized the team, Durant and Green gave due credit to France for putting up a tough fight.
Honestly, can you blame Durant for feeling himself just a little bit? The man catches all kinds of grief — admittedly, some of it brought on through his own doing — but he continues to just ball out. Oh, and the Brooklyn Nets just rewarded him with a monster four-year contract extension.
So, it’s important to preface this with the previous international struggles Popovich endured over the years when he was part of Team USA at various stages, as documented by The Washington Post‘s Michael Lee:
Gregg Popovich has 5 NBA championship rings so it's easy to forget how much misery he's endured on the international stage. Cut from 1972 Olympic team. Assistant on 2004 bronze team. Lame 7th place finish in 2019 World Cup. This gold means everything for the Air Force grad
— Michael Lee (@MrMichaelLee) August 7, 2021
Then again, the Americans weren’t sending anywhere near their best talent to the 2019 World Cup when they flopped. And Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski was the predominant head of Team USA basketball for many years, so there wasn’t much room for Popovich to make his own mark.
Dan Wolken of USA Today reported what Popovich said about the pressure of coaching in the Olympics after the U.S. defeated France to ascend to the top of the podium:
Gregg Popovich: "I can be honest and say this is the most responsibility I’ve ever felt. I felt it every day for several years so I’m feeling pretty light now and looking forward to getting back to the hotel and having…something."
— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken) August 7, 2021
Popovich often plays coy or acts downright defiant toward the media. After exhibition losses to Nigeria and Australia, and a Summer Games-opening loss to France, many were doubting whether the coach had the goods to get it done in Tokyo.
From there, Team USA didn’t lose once. And funny enough, Wolken was among the many vocal critics who called out Popovich before the Americans’ eventual, seemingly inevitable Olympic coronation.
Another prominent figure in the sport of basketball who has a, let’s say, complex relationship with the press is Green. The Golden State Warriors veteran wanted receipts for those who slammed Popovich, and Freezing Cold Takes delivered the goods as usual:
— Freezing Cold Takes (@OldTakesExposed) August 7, 2021
— Freezing Cold Takes (@OldTakesExposed) August 7, 2021
Not all of these bad takes are aimed specifically at Popovich, but most of them are. The implication in all of them is that his leadership wasn’t good enough, and it would somehow actually cause Durant and the U.S. team to shrink in the face of any setbacks along the way.
So much for all that.
Now, Popovich and Team USA basketball can just sit back and laugh at all the haters. Even without stalwarts like LeBron James and plenty of other NBA studs who could’ve suited up for the Olympics, Popovich steered the ship admirably well and got the Americans to peak at the perfect time.
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