USA Coach Popovich Says Australia Can Win Basketball World Cup
22nd August 2019
The veteran San Antonio Spurs mastermind offered the praise ahead of two warm-up games between the nations in Melbourne this week
- United States coach Gregg Popovich has tipped Australia as a key contender at the upcoming basketball World Cup in China, saying they have the ability to win the tournament
- They arrived in Melbourne on the back of a 90-81 victory over second-ranked Spain in Anaheim, California, and will play the Boomers later Thursday, then again Saturday before a final warm-up against Canada in Sydney on August 26.
- In contrast to the five-time World Cup winners, Australia have never won a medal. But Popovich thinks this could be their year
MELBOURNE, Australia- United States coach Gregg Popovich has tipped Australia as a key
contender at the upcoming basketball World Cup in China, saying they have the
ability to win the tournament.
The veteran San
Antonio Spurs mastermind offered the praise ahead of two warm-up games between
the nations in Melbourne this week.
"They are one
of the teams that can win the whole thing, without a doubt," Popovich
said. "I'm not saying that because I'm here (in Melbourne). It's just a
fact."
The world number one
Americans will try to win a third consecutive World Cup next month with a
line-up that lacks many of their NBA superstars, with the likes of James
Harden, Anthony Davis and Kawhi Leonard among notable absentees.
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But they boast top
young talent and will use the games in Australia to refine their identity.
They arrived in
Melbourne on the back of a 90-81 victory over second-ranked Spain in Anaheim,
California, and will play the Boomers later Thursday, then again Saturday
before a final warm-up against Canada in Sydney on August 26.
In contrast to the
five-time World Cup winners, Australia have never won a medal. But Popovich
thinks this could be their year.
"They've been
close for several years, and they are hungry. They are talented. Coach (Andrej)
Lemanis does a good job, and they are a team," he said on the USA
basketball website.
"They are
together. They know what they are doing. They execute really well, so that's
what it takes. They have the toughness and physicality to go with it.
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"I think they
are one of the top contenders without a doubt."
While Australia
boosts a handful of NBA stars, including Utah Jazz's Joe Ingle and Patty Mills of
the San Antonio Spurs, they suffered a setback on Monday when Jonah Bolden
joined his teammate Ben Simmons in pulling out of the World Cup.
Other Australian NBA
standouts not playing include Thon Maker (NBA commitments), Ryan Broekhoff
(birth of his child) and Dante Exum (injury).