Team USA losing isn’t an ‘upset’

 


On Saturday July 10th, Team USA lost to Team Nigeria in the men’s teams opening exhibition match. It was labelled a ‘historic upset’ by the masses but this description annoys me.

Why is it so surprising that an Olympic calibre team lost to another Olympic calibre team?

This isn’t the NBA where they face the same teams every season. This is the Olympics. The premiere sporting event that comes about every four years. Athletes spend years competing and getting their body ready for the opportunity to represent their country and win gold. This is an opportunity that these athletes nearly lost out on due the pandemic. No one is going to rollover for the “great” USA.

I am a casual sports fan and proud of it but, Team USA’s previous success is not lost on me. The men’s team has taken gold home more often than not, including at the last three Olympic Games. The team’s loss to Nigeria is historic because between July 2021 and 1992, they had only lost two exhibition games. Now after their consecutive defeat to Australia, they have lost two games in three days. So yes, these loses are historic, but are they really an ‘upset’?

For one, they are losing games that are tantamount to NBA Preseason games, meaning they only matter so much. These match ups can give us a slight indication about how successful a team will be during the group stage. But they also give teams a chance to see what they can improve and create chemistry with players and coaching staff that they don’t often compete with. If I was American, I would still have faith in the men’s team to perform well when it mattered most.

Secondly, the United States aren’t the only team with NBA level talent. Three of Nigeria’s starting five are also in the NBA. Along with seven players that make-up Australia’s 12-man team, who have won both of their exhibition matches.

With all these things to consider, these losses for Team USA aren’t ‘embarrassing’ as many American fans and commentators have suggested. If anything, it is a reality check about the competition they are up against.

When Team USA started to train together ESPN put out a video, in the title of which sports personality, Stephen A. Smith declares Team USA will win gold. I refuse to watch the video. Not just because I am weening myself of the sport broadcaster’s provocative content but also because I know without clicking that they won’t know anything substantial about the other eleven teams competing in basketball this year and therefore can’t give an informed response to whether America will again win gold. They probably think just giving Kevin Durant the ball will ensure success. Steve Nash already tried this and it didn’t work.*

The idea that America is this massive juggernaut isn’t new nor entirely inaccurate but the dramatics around them losing are unnecessary at this stage and do a disservice to the teams that have beaten them.

*Evidently giving KD the ball does work very well, as he went for 29 points in the gold medal match against France winning his third gold medal and The United States fourth consecutive gold. (Added 07/08/2021)

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