Team USA managing director Jerry Colangelo knows things haven't gone as planned this summer with a volatile roster and some shaky performance on the floor. But he was emphatic that a fourth consecutive gold medal is still there for the team to take.
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"I didn't think Kevin Love was going to play. I wasn't even sure he had much left to play," Colangelo said. "He reached out to us and said he was in shape and said he felt he owed us. And on the basis of that, we're looking at someone with international experience who at one time was a heck of a rebounder and could still shoot the ball. You know, being like a 12th man on a roster.
"Well, it didn't work out. He wasn't in shape. And he was way behind as it turned out. So you move on. Call it a mistake. Call it giving someone an opportunity. Someone who had equity with us."
Sounds like Colangelo is deflecting in torching Love for wasting a spot. Love screwed them out of getting Randle allegedly but that seems unfair to a guy who would’ve barely played anyway. The Trae Young part makes his entire interview null and void. He won’t admit to the politics and the strained relationship with his former coach Lloyd Pierce being the reason.
I also thought it was funny how he mentioned the American bigs that were available were all trash. Yes, a ton of players got injured or weren’t healthy, but RCF could’ve collectively put together a better team out of all the available players.
Coach Pop needing to rectify his record for Team USA is also interesting. Pop only took the job if Jerry stayed on after pondering retirement in 2016.