SAITAMA, Japan — Gregg Popovich, the head coach of the United States men’s basketball team, exhaled on Saturday afternoon as he contemplated his team’s 87-82 victory over France to win an Olympic gold medal. “Do you know what sayonara means,” Popovich said, smiling. “That’s how I’m feeling now.”It was that kind of summer for Popovich and the American players, who are always expected to dominate international basketball, yet always explaining how hard it is to do so. They had only a short time to get to know one another, just a few weeks to reach their top gear and fulfill their potential against a rapidly improving field of experienced international teams. They delivered in the end — the gold medal was the team’s fourth consecutive and 16th overall — but the result did not always feel assured.

Source: International New York Times August 07, 2021 08:23 UTC