By Cesare Milanti / info@eurohoops.net
MANILA, Philippines – Team USA crushed another opponent, this time having the upper hand over the Greek national team coached by Dimitris Itoudis. Coming off the bench to bring energy to Steve Kerr’s team, Bobby Portis provided 10 points and 4 rebounds to help get the victory.
Stepping by in the mixed zone, the Milwaukee Bucks power forward talked to the media, sharing the atmosphere inside of the locker room for this squad. “We stand together, obviously, it’s a journey, a long road ahead for us. Two more weeks left with this team, and hopefully, we can get to the final round. We’ve been together for three and a half weeks now. Nobody complains about playing time, everybody plays for each other, playing for the name you find on this jersey. That’s what this brand it’s about: playing for each other, going out here, winning, and having fun”, he shared.
Answering a question regarding the advantage of switching with any kind of opposing player, Bobby Portis recognized Team USA’s versatility. “Our team is very versatile, we’ve got a lot of guys who can do different things with the basketball. Every night could be someone different’s night. Going out there and being ourselves, playing with confidence and swaggy. When our team gets stopped, especially when we are in a rebounding run, we’re a tough team to play against. We can play in transition pretty well”, he added explaining their best offensive factors.
Having two future Hall of Famers like Steve Kerr and Erik Spoelstra, Bobby Portis has been learning a lot since the start of this summer with the American national team. “They put a lot into the preparation. They know the game perfectly, they break down all our opponents, and it’s tough for them as well: many of them don’t even play in the NBA. They do a hell of a job doing scouts, all the tendencies that they have. All the credits must be given to them for everything that we do. They stay locked in and it really helps in the game: it’s always good to stay a step ahead”, the Milwaukee Bucks forward said.
Since the start of the 2023 FIBA World Cup, the American player who received the biggest attention and love is surely Austin Reaves, who’s always cheered by the audience in the Mall of Asia. “He’s smart as hell. The kid has been good. He showed his talent all throughout the season and had big moments during the Playoffs as well. This transition to FIBA has been great, happy for him and happy to see his progression. He has to keep going and take it a game at a time, but always do the bigger picture”, Bobby Portis spoke about the upcoming star.
Finally, the 28-year-old player spoke about his favorite team out of all the other participants in the 2023 FIBA World Cup. “Canada has been playing really well: they beat France by 30 and I think nobody really expected that. Last night they won by 50. They’re playing great basketball, they’ve got a lot of NBAers on their team and a lot of familiar faces we see a lot in the league. It’s a team to watch out for, we have to respect them through and through”, he underlined about Jordi Fernandez’s national team.
PHOTO CREDIT: 2023 FIBA World Cup
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