Charles Barkley is a member of the 1992 Dream Team that heightened the expectations for every Team USA Men’s Basketball team that followed.
This current Team USA compilation has been compared to the Dream Team as far as star power and iconic players are concerned. LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Steph Curry are all Top 20 players in history.
LeBron James has been called The GOAT by more than a few reputable basketball minds, Chef Curry is known as the greatest shooter ever and the most influential player of this generation as far as how he impressed his style on the league.
Kevin Durant is proving that he is the prototype for tall wings with lethal shooting abilities at any spot on the floor. Team USA had a couple of close games enroute to going 5-0 in the exhibitions leading up to the Olympics.
Still undefeated after four Olympic Games, there are those who still leave the window open for the possibility that another squad such as Canada or a Germany could upset Steve Kerr’s talented team.
Team USA smacked Brazil 122-87 on Tuesday to advance to the semifinals of the 2024 Summer Olympics. Devin Booker led Team USA with 18 points, Joel Embiid started and scored 14 points and Anthony Edwards added 17 of his own off the bench.
They now face Nikola Jokic and Serbia (who overcame a 24-point deficit in their last win) in the Olympics semifinals on Thursday in a rematch of the group-stage game won by Team USA.
This is the game that some analysts have suggested could be where Team USA stubs its toe and takes an L.
Charles Barkley Says Team USA Can’t Return To Country If It Doesn’t Win Gold
If that were to happen, Barkley says it would be unforgivable.
On the “Podcast P,” Barkley stated: “Listen, if they lose we can’t let them back in the country. We can’t. I told them they can’t come back. I mean, because with the team we got, I mean, it’s no excuse for us to lose the gold medal. All they got to do is go out there and play hard, play unselfish, because that’s really the key. Like we talked about it a little bit earlier, Joel, heck of a player, we’re not gonna walk the ball up and down the court to give it to you.”
Barkley also sent a message to LeBron about the way he conducts the offense when he’s in. Suggesting that the living legend who rescued Team USA from an embarrassing loss against South Sudan in exhibition play has a tendency to get too methodical and ball dominant rather than rely on the superior talent of his teammates.
Barkley added: “LeBron, we’re not gonna walk the ball up and down the court same thing. Like, whoever is in the game, like, hey, let me just play basketball. It was so easy on the first Dream Team, like, yo, we got two starting lineups. Y’all play the first 10, we play the second 10, let’s just play basketball. We’re not really going to run no plays, because if we play great defense and push it that’s all we got to do.”
Let’s not forget that some fans blame Steph Curry’s uncharacteristically poor shooting entering the game against Brazil (33% from the field and 24 % from three-point range) on LeBron’s system of running an offense.
They say Bron was ball hogging, which is why he probably stepped back a bit in these last two Olympic games. Team USA (4-0) has basically smoked Serbia with two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic, South Sudan in the rematch of a close game, Puerto Rico and then Brazil.
Kevin Durant Demolishing Records Books As Antman Emerges
All of these inner issues aren’t affecting the results. Anthony Edwards has finally emerged as the team’s leading scorer followed by KD and Bron.
KD has eclipsed Carmelo Anthony as the greatest Olympian in Team USA basketball history. The Slim Reaper scored 11 points and passed Lisa Leslie (488 points) for the most points at the Olympics by any USA Basketball player, male or female.
The record-breaking dunk for Durant, who is trying to become the first men’s player to win four Olympic golds in basketball, came with 2:36 left in the third quarter and the Americans up 29. KD is looking for a record fourth Olympic gold. (2012, 2016, 2021, 2024). Leslie also made four appearances (1996, 2000, 2004, 2008).
Team USA is expected to continue its demolition of competition, but some have pointed to games against Canada and Germany as potential losses if Steve Kerr’s group doesn’t come to play.
Charles Barkley Will Honor 10-Year/$210M Contract With TNT
If they do falter, Sir Charles, who announced he will stay with TNT and honor his 10-year $200M contract he signed in 2022, will probably be at the borders refusing to let them back into the country.
