“Would Die to Be There, We Have Players That Where Chosen”: 2x Gold Winner NBA Star Blasts Team USA’s Poor Mentality While Lauding World Champions Germany

When an athlete is representing his nation, he has another fire in him to achieve glory. So every time during national sporting events like the Olympics, World Cup, etc. players generally go all in. But during this FIBA World after the loss of the USA, one player thought this team was not playing with that mentality. This player is currently 37 years old and is a free agent.

The only stance this player has to make such comments is he has represented his nation before. And he has even been successful in achieving glory for the USA not just once, but twice.

A former gold medalist criticizes current Team USA

Rudy Gay, a long-time NBA veteran and former Utah Jazz forward, is a free agent with minimal to no attention from other clubs. At 37 years old, his performance has declined with time, making him less appealing to potential suitors. Notably, his field goal percentage of the 3-point line has decreased by 124 points in four years, as has his three-point shooting. He is clearly no longer the scoring machine he once was.

While it may surprise some that a veteran star is without a club, the fact is that age catches up with every athlete. And with so much youthful talent available, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for veterans like Gay to obtain opportunities in the NBA. However, Rudy Gay put on some of the finest performances of his NBA career. In 68 games over one stellar season, he averaged 21.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 3.7 assists. Gay also made big contributions to the United States national basketball team. He aided them in winning a FIBA World Championship gold medal in 2010 and a FIBA Basketball World Cup gold medal in 2014. Anyhow, recently Gay took it to X formerly known as Twitter to express his thoughts about the loss of the USA in the FIBA World Cup.

As he was a part of the national team in his prime, he spoke out his opinions about the team’s attitude. He wrote, “Nothing to do with coaching or whether it’s a B or C team. These other countries have players that would die to be there. We have players that were chosen.” Although Gay might not be happy with the team, there were some players who played exceptionally well.

Star players of Team USA

Two powerful players for Team USA at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 have emerged. Anthony Edwards has been an obstacle to contend with, averaging 18.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.8 assists. His best game was a 35-point effort against Lithuania, demonstrating his scoring skills. Austin Reaves has also excelled, averaging 11 points per game on 55.2 percent shooting from the field and ranking third on the squad. Reaves has also been an effective facilitator, with three assists per game. These two players have had a huge effect on Team USA’s FIBA World Cup campaign.

Read More: Days After Team USA FIBA World Cup Embarrassment, 22yr Old ‘Michael Jordan’ was Key to Saving Face, says Ex-NBA Champion

So, even with Rudy Gay commenting on the team’s attitude, there were players who were giving their best at the World Cup. The only issue was that they did not have luck on their side and failed to complete the task of achieving glory. So even if Team USA did not manage to win the FIBA World Cup, the players did a fantastic job at representing their nation.

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