Despite having several NBA stars, Team USA wasn’t that impressive during its run in the FIBA Basketball World Cup.
Notably, their loss had nothing to do with a shortage of talent.
Perhaps that was one of the biggest issues that backfired, at least according to Washington Wizards star Kyle Kuzma.
Kuzma took to Twitter to call out Team USA players for not being able to play within their role, stating that anybody can play well with the ball in their hands, but they’re unwilling to stay in the corner for a few possessions and play defense.
USA basketball better get some nba stars that know how to play a role. Anybody can be nice with the ball in their hands but can you be cool with defending and going to the corner for a few possessions?
— kuz (@kylekuzma) September 12, 2023
Of course, this could be a not-so-subtle attempt to campaign himself for the upcoming Olympics — which is unlikely to pay off if many NBA superstars suit up as expected.
Regardless of that, Kuzma is right on point with that assessment, and he knows it from experience.
He was a role player in the Los Angeles Lakers championship run, and then he blossomed as a borderline All-Star player when he was on his own in Washington.
Rival teams at the FIBA level have players who have played together for years and know how to play within their role; they embrace that role.
Iso-heavy basketball and just stacking up talented players won’t do the trick anymore, and the rest of the world has gotten a lot better.
Players need to put their egos aside and do their job.
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