Team USA ‘trying to be better’ as it eyes World Cup title

For Team USA, attempting to be higher on daily basis is the important thing to successful the 2023 FIBA World Cup.

Team captain Jalen Brunson stated with simply round six weeks of preparation earlier than the World Cup right here in Manila, they’re conscious that lots of their opponents have already got sufficient expertise of their nationwide squads.

“We’ve been working hard the past couple of weeks and every single day, we try to figure out a way to get better,” Brunson stated in a press convention on Thursday.

“We know teams here are very experienced, have been playing for a very long time so for us, every time we step on the court, [we ask] how to be better than we were yesterday. That’s just been our mindset.”

Jalen Brunson talks about their preps forward of the World Cup #FIBAWC @gmasportsph pic.twitter.com/HnfwvuyONd

— JK Carandang (@jk_carandang) August 24, 2023

Despite the quick preparation time, head coach Steve Kerr is pleased with the crew’s composition and progress forward of their opener on Saturday in opposition to New Zealand on the Mall of Asia Arena.

“We’ve had a great couple of weeks in practice. I love coaching these guys, we’re a pretty young team but they are hungry and on the rise and we’ve got a really good group that is enjoying the process together and working hard every day,” echoed Kerr.

Coach Steve Kerr appears ahead to the #FIBAWC @gmasportsph pic.twitter.com/Bbd0kuDZG2

— JK Carandang (@jk_carandang) August 24, 2023

For Brunson, nonetheless, it shouldn’t simply cease at being higher as they nonetheless have their eyes on the prize.

“We have a lot of guys who come from different situations, different sides of basketball but here, egos are left in the door and we all just want to win and that’s the most important thing in our minds. 

With just two days left before their opening game, Kerr said they have great respect for the Tall Blacks.

“They’re very effectively coached. They play actually laborious. They make you guard completely different actions. You should be actually well-prepared to beat them,” he added.

After New Zealand, the Americans will face Greece on August 28 and Jordan on the 30th.

The United States has won the FIBA World Cup championship five times. During the 2019 edition, the Americans failed to finish in the podium.

—JKC, GMA Integrated News