The U.S. men’s basketball team capped a tumultuous month of training, of chaos, of losing and ultimately, of victory on Saturday, winning gold by beating France 87-82. Here are four quick thoughts — one for each of the golds the U.S. men have won in a row. U.S. men’s basketball coach Gregg Popovich celebrates with his staff after guiding the team to a gold-medal win over France on Saturday. Damian Lillard and the challengesIf there was one player who struggled to find his place within this team’s framework, it was Damian Lillard. “You turn on American sports talk TV, and you got guys like Kendrick Perkins, you know, doubting us.

Source: Los Angeles Times August 07, 2021 14:03 UTC