Dylan Hernandez: Gregg Popovich must take responsibility for the underperforming US men’s basketball team | Sports

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He was a firm and essential voice of reason during the most blatantly racist presidency in generations.

In the four years that the White House has been occupied by a vulgar bankrupt casino operator, Gregg Popovich has earned respect as more than a basketball coach. The praise came from both minorities who appreciated that he used his position as a successful white authority figure to speak on their behalf and from white progressives who admired the way he expressed their feelings.

Now, in what could be his last act in public life as leader of the US basketball team at these Games, Popovich, 72, has been considerably less dignified.

He blows.

Following America’s embarrassing 83-76 loss to France in its Olympic opener on Sunday night, the five-time NBA champion coach has come across as irresponsible.

He was on the defensive. Arrogant, even.

There is nothing to be surprised about, Popovich told reporters. This is the part that confuses me a bit.

Really, it’s no wonder that a team representing the country that invented the sport, has the most competitive league and the best players with a seven-point lead at the end of the fourth quarter. ?

It’s bad enough that Popovich failed to convince some of his players to take on the roles required for the United States to win a gold medal or even beat cannon fodder like France. It’s bad enough that Popovich can’t execute an attack that doesn’t maximize the offensive weapons on his roster.

What turns this training failure into something worse is Popovich’s behavior. The same man who represented the most sensitive parts of America during the Trump presidency now epitomizes the country’s worst traits, and on the world stage nothing less.

If the sale of complete nonsense indicates how little a speaker thinks about the intelligence of his audience, Popovich obviously has none for the people who recount his Olympic misadventures or for the readers and viewers to whom they convey his words.

I don’t understand the word surprise, Popovich continued. It discredits the France team, so to speak, like we’re supposed to beat them by 30 or something. It’s a hell of a team.

A hell of a team that lost an exhibition game the week before against Japan, which, at 42nd place in the FIBA ​​rankings, is behind countries like South Korea, Tunisia and Georgia.

They have a great coaching staff, Popovich continued. They have NBA players and other talented players who play in Europe [who have been] together for a long time.

While it’s true that the United States undergoes more roster rotation than other international teams, they also have the most talented collection of players.

LeBron James not playing? So what?

As patchy as its roster may be, the United States has Kevin Durant, Damian Lillard, Devin Booker and Jayson Tatum. No other team here can match that, certainly not France, which has good but not great players like Rudy Gobert, Evan Fournier and Nicolas Batum.

I think it’s a little bit of pride if you think Americans are supposed to just kick the ball out and win, Popovich said.

And it is a dreadful abdication of responsibility to think that it is even far and away acceptable for the United States to lose to France.

Popovich highlighted how teams from other countries are improving. He is right. Just because it’s true it can’t be true, doesn’t mean the United States should always be on the ground.

None of this should diminish what Popovich has accomplished with Spurs. He was the right coach at the right time for them. He is an infallible Hall of Famer. He also happens to be the wrong coach at the wrong time for the United States, with a resume in international competition that falls short of his success in the NBA.

He was Larry Brown’s assistant during the disastrous 2004 Games, where the United States settled for a bronze medal.

Replacing Mike Krzyzewski as USA head coach after the 2016 Olympics, Popovich led the team to the worst seventh place ever at the 2019 FIBA ​​World Cup.

Earlier this month, the United States abandoned exhibition games in Nigeria and Australia.

It shouldn’t be the norm. It cannot be the norm.

The Brazilians would never allow their men’s soccer team coach to excuse a loss to, say, the United States by pointing out how far his opponent has evolved. Brazil losing a game against the United States in football is inexcusable under any circumstances.

It’s part of the job.

Whether he recognizes it or not, Popovich inherited a similar burden from Krzyzewski.

While Popovich played dumb, at least one of his players said he understood the responsibilities of representing the United States in basketball.

I think that’s exactly what the expectations are when you play for the USA team, said Lillard.

Lillard did not live up to expectations on the pitch, but he understood how he should behave afterwards. Popovich didn’t either.

2021 Los Angeles Times. Visit latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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