By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Team USA had a a rough start on the road to the Olympic Games, losing to both Nigeria and Australia before bouncing back against Argentina. These two defeats marked the third time since 1992 that USA dropped back-to-back matches.
Damian Lillard acknowledged that this defeats weren’t exactly pretty but they served as a reminder to him and his teammates that things in the Olympics won’t be that easy.
Here’s what Lillard said in an interview for the Portland Trail Blazers website:
We’ve got to be in shape, we’ve got to be sharp and we’ve got to come together as a team to win these games. Each game we’ve played better, like (versus Argentina) I thought we looked like Team USA, but that’s because we’re playing ourselves into better shape, we getting more comfortable with each other, guys are kind a just falling into what they see themselves being on the team. And that’s it. Everybody is expecting us to just blow everybody out, I think it’s better that we experienced it now. Australia is a competitive team, Nigeria is a really good team this time around, they got NBA players out there. It’s better than us picking a few teams that we can just beat up on, we playing against good competition and teams that have experience together. Obviously we don’t want to lose, we don’t want to be that team, but I think it’s better to happen now than for us to come out here, have it easy and then we go to Tokyo and just get our ass whooped.
Lillard, a six-time NBA All-Star, will play in the Olympic Games for the first time in his career. One of the reasons he’s really looking forward to that experience is that he will compete alongside his fellow NBA stars in matches that truly matter… unlike the All-Star game.
“I’m just looking forward to being an Olympian, I’ve never done it. It’s disappointing that there’s not going to be any spectators but I’m looking forward to it. I haven’t done it, I haven’t played with the best players in meaningful games — we’ve played in All-Star games but it’s half-ass. So to play for something bigger than us in meaningful games with the best players, everybody don’t get that opportunity, so I’m excited like that.”