USA Basketball Team Beats Canada With Barack Obama Sitting Courtside

The walls could have easily collapsed around LeBron James, Stephen Curry and their national team counterparts, but order was quickly restored in the United States’ 86-72 victory over Canada at T-Mobile Arena on Wednesday. It was a mixed start for the gold medal favorites, but that should be taken as comfort given the off-court distractions, on-court sloppiness and immense expectations of the night.

“It was a slow start, which is not surprising,” coach Steve Kerr said. “You could see the rust on the offensive end. There were a lot of turnovers in the first half, especially. But I like the defensive intensity and the work on the basket. We had to set the tone for how we wanted to play, and I think we did that.”

In the hours before kickoff, USA Basketball announced that Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard would be replaced by Boston Celtics guard Derrick White on the 12-man roster. The decision to remove Leonard was made jointly by USA Basketball, the Clippers and Leonard due to ongoing concerns about his recent knee injury, according to a statement from the program. Hill said Wednesday that he and the USA Basketball staff evaluated Leonard’s play and progress during a four-day training camp before parting ways with the six-time All-Star.

“Ultimately, he was sent home,” Hill said, noting the grueling logistics of the monthlong Olympic race. “It’s a sprint, not a build-up. We were open, honest and understanding the whole way. Your heart goes out to him. We have to do what’s best for the team, protect them and give ourselves the best chance of success. We just felt like we had to change course. We all tried. We made a valiant effort.”

USA Basketball believes White, a reliable outside shooter and talented defender, can fill the same role in Paris that he did during the Celtics’ run to the title. His previous experience at the 2019 FIBA ​​World Cup and his short-term availability have contributed to his success. The 30-year-old guard is expected to join his new teammates in Abu Dhabi, the next stop on their five-game exhibition schedule.

Celtics forward Jaylen Brown, for his part, doesn’t seem happy with the decision. Despite winning NBA Finals MVP and Eastern Conference Finals MVP awards, Brown was not selected by USA Basketball, even though three of his teammates – Jayson Tatum, Jrue Holiday and White – are headed to Paris.

Brown had previously criticized Nike, the official apparel supplier of USA Basketball, and its founder, Phil Knight, after the company’s decision to part ways with then-Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving following an anti-Semitic controversy in 2022. On Wednesday, Brown suggested on social media that Nike was behind his rejection: “Nike, is that what we do?” Brown wrote.

Hill said that while USA Basketball was “proud of its partners,” its goal was to “build a team that complements each other, that fits and that gives us the best chance for success.”

“One of the hardest things is leaving players off the roster that I’m a fan of and look forward to seeing throughout the season and the playoffs,” he added. “Whatever theories are out there, they’re just that.”

Without Leonard and Kevin Durant, who continues to nurse a minor calf injury, Kerr lined up James, Curry, Holiday, Devin Booker and Joel Embiid against Canada. That lineup, which was designed to counter Canadian guards Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jamal Murray, started 0-of-6 shooting and fell to an 11-1 deficit. James and Anthony Davis were both hard-fought by the Canadiens, who made up for their lack of size by forcing turnovers and playing aggressively.

Embiid was sent off midway through the third quarter of his national team debut. The 2023 NBA MVP left with just five points and six rebounds in 12 minutes, a worrisome start for a player who is vital to the Americans’ ability to compete with international stars such as Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Victor Wembanyama.

“This is my first time in FIBA, so I have to get used to it,” Embiid said. “Especially for the big guys, any time you try to be physical, you get penalized. Tonight was one of those nights. I’m a quick learner. I’ll adapt.”

Curry helped ease the pressure with a three-pointer midway through the first quarter, and Anthony Edwards came out swinging to lead the second unit and help the U.S. take a 41-33 halftime lead. The Canadians never really managed to counter in the third quarter, as the Americans gradually showed off their skill and depth. Curry and James hit a lob that drew a thunderous ovation from the 20,000-plus fans, and Edwards finished with 13 points to lead all scorers.

“There’s a temptation to defer and overthink every possession because everybody can make a play,” said Curry, who added 12 points and three assists. “With that first unit, we struggled with that. Once we settled in, everybody got more comfortable as we went along.”

Obama cheered throughout the evening from a courtside seat near the broadcast crew, and dozens of former USA Basketball players — including Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, Patrick Ewing, John Stockton, Reggie Miller, Cheryl Miller and Lynette Woodard — were recognized at midcourt during timeouts.

With his team on the verge of shooting just 7 of 33 (21.2 percent) from three-point range and falling behind, Canadian coach Jordi Fernandez rested his starters for the entire fourth quarter. As the American stars saluted the crowd after dispatching their northern neighbors, the arena’s DJ took a victory lap, playing Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” a vicious track aimed at Canadian rapper Drake.

Although many in the crowd sang along, James and Curry were in serious, reflective moods now that their Olympic journey is officially underway. Both stars praised Obama’s motivational speech to their team Tuesday night: James called the former president “one of the greatest people the world has ever seen” with a “vision, a mindset and words (that) still resonate,” while Curry described getting “goosebumps” when Obama spoke about the unifying power of sports.

A simple mission emerged at the end of a long and complicated day.

“He wants us to win,” Curry said of Obama. “That’s what America is known for.”