USA basketball beats Canada with Barack Obama sitting on the court

The walls could have easily fallen down around LeBron James, Stephen Curry and their national team counterparts, but order was quickly restored during the United States’ 86-72 victory over Canada at T-Mobile Arena on Wednesday. It was a flawed start for the gold medal favourites, but that should be taken for granted considering the night’s off-court distractions, on-court sloppiness and extreme expectations.

“It was a slow start, which wasn’t surprising,” coach Steve Kerr said. “You can see the rust on the offensive end. There were a lot of turnovers, especially in the first half. But I like the defensive intensity and the work on the glass. We needed to decide how we wanted to play and I think we did that.”

Hours before tip-off, USA Basketball announced that Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard would be replaced on the 12-man roster by Boston Celtics guard Derrick White. The decision to remove Leonard due to ongoing concerns about a recent knee injury was made jointly by USA Basketball, the Clippers and Leonard, according to the program’s statement. Hill said Wednesday that he and USA Basketball’s coaching staff had evaluated Leonard’s play and progress during a four-day training camp before parting ways with the six-time All-Star.

“Ultimately, he was sent home,” Hill said, noting the taxing nature of the month-long Olympic race. “This is a sprint, not a ramp-up. We were all open, honest and understanding. Your heart goes out to him. We have to do what’s best for the team, protect the team and give ourselves the best opportunity for success. We just felt we had to move. We all tried. We made a bold effort for this.

USA Basketball believed that White, a reliable outside shooter and skilled defender, could fill the same role in Paris that he had played during the Celtics’ championship run. His case was aided by his previous experience playing at the 2019 FIBA ​​World Cup and his availability at short notice. The 30-year-old guard is expected to join his new teammates in Abu Dhabi, the next stop on their five-game exhibition slate.

However, Celtics forward Jaylen Brown seemed dissatisfied with the decision. Despite winning NBA Finals MVP and Eastern Conference Finals MVP, Brown was passed over by USA Basketball, even though three of his teammates – Jayson Tatum, Jrue Holiday and White – are going to Paris.

Brown previously criticized Nike, the official apparel supplier of USA Basketball, and its founder Phil Knight following the company’s decision to part ways with then-Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving in 2022 following an anti-Semitism controversy. On Wednesday, Brown alleged on social media that Nike was behind his insults: “Nike, what are we doing?” Brown posted.

Hill said that while USA Basketball is “proud of our partners”, their focus was on “building a team that complements each other, is a good fit and gives us the best opportunity for success.”

“One of the hardest things is leaving guys off the roster that I’m a fan of and I look forward to watching throughout the season and the playoffs,” he said. “Whatever principles there are, they are just that.”

Without Leonard and Kevin Durant, who is nursing a minor calf injury, Kerr started James, Curry, Holiday, Devin Booker and Joel Embiid against Canada. That lineup, which was designed to counter Canadian guards Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jamal Murray, started 0 of 6 from the field and fell into an 11-1 hole. James and Anthony Davis both faced tough fouls from the Canadiens, who made up for their lack of size by forcing turnovers and playing aggressively.

Embiid fouled out midway through the third quarter of his national team debut. The 2023 NBA MVP went with just five points and six rebounds in 12 minutes, a worrisome start for a player who is central to the Americans’ ability to match up with international stars like Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Victor Wembanyama.

“This is my first time at FIBA, so I’m going to have to get used to it,” Embiid said. “Especially for bigger guys, as soon as you try to be physical, you get punished for it. Tonight was one of those nights. I am a quick learner. I will adjust.”

Curry helped relieve the pressure by hitting a three-pointer midway through the first quarter, and Anthony Edwards came out firing to lead the second unit and help the United States take a 41–33 halftime lead. The Canadians never mounted much of a counter-attack in the third quarter, as the Americans gradually asserted their talent and depth advantage. Curry and James connected on a lob that drew a rousing ovation from more than 20,000 fans, and Edwards led all scorers with 13 points.

“There’s a temptation to postpone every possession and overthink because everybody can make a play,” said Curry, who added 12 points and three assists. “That first unit, we struggled with that. “Once we settled in, everyone became more comfortable as we got deeper into the game.”

Obama cheered throughout the night from a courtside seat near the television broadcast crew, and recognized dozens of former USA Basketball players – including Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, Patrick Ewing, John Stockton, Reggie Miller, Cheryl Miller and Lynette Woodard – at midcourt. Went. During a stoppage in play.

With his team shooting 7 for 33 (21.2 percent) from the outside and losing, Canada coach Jordi Fernandez rested his starters in the fourth quarter. As the American stars acknowledged the crowd after dispatching their neighbors to the north, the arena’s disc jockeys triumphed by playing Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” – a menacing track taking aim at Canadian rapper Drake .

Although many in the crowd were singing along, James and Curry were in a serious and contemplative mood now that their Olympic run had officially begun. Both stars praised Obama’s inspirational address to his team on Tuesday night: James said the former president is “one of the greatest people this world has ever seen” who has “the vision, the mindset and the words[that]) are always resonating”. While Curry said he got goosebumps when Obama discussed the unifying power of sports.

At the end of a long and complicated day a simple mission came to the surface.

“He wants us to win,” Curry said of Obama. “This is what America is known for.”