‘We all want to win’: US ditch egos for basketball World Cup tilt

MANILA – United States basketball captain Jalen Brunson said on Thursday that egos will be “left at the door” as the Americans aim to regain the World Cup after a disastrous performance in 2019.

The 32-team competition tips off on Friday in the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia, with the US beginning their campaign against New Zealand a day later.

The Americans, who will play in Group C in Manila, are looking to set the record straight after slumping to a seventh-place finish at the 2019 tournament in China.

Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr has picked a young and talented squad and Brunson said they have “one common goal, which is to win”.

“Every time we step out on the court, it’s about how can we be better than we were yesterday, that’s been our mindset,” said the New York Knicks guard.

“We have a lot of guys who come from different situations and play different styles of basketball but here, egos are left at the door. We all just want to win.”

Brunson is joined in the US squad by National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star guards Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Indiana Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton and Austin Reaves of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Also selected are swingman Mikal Bridges of the Brooklyn Nets, New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram and 2023 NBA Rookie of the Year Paolo Banchero of the Orlando Magic.

Kerr said his players were “hungry and on the rise”.

“We’ve got a really good group that are enjoying the process together and working hard every day. We’re trying to get better every day and be prepared because we know how difficult the tournament will be,” said Kerr, who served as an assistant to Gregg Popovich at the 2019 World Cup and at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

The Americans go into the tournament with a perfect winning record from their five tune-up games that included a victory over defending champions Spain and a remarkable comeback against Germany, where the US trailed by 16 points late in the third quarter.

Kerr conceded that the international game was “totally different from the NBA”, but said he had picked players who “could be a team in a short period of time”.

“We’re going to compete, we’re going to play as hard as we can, we’re going to try to win a gold medal. If we don’t, we understand there will be plenty of criticism and we’re OK with that,” he said.

Slovenia’s Luka Doncic and France’s Rudy Gobert will be among the NBA’s international stars trying to stop the US from lifting the Naismith Trophy for the first time since 2014.

Spain, who beat Argentina in the final in 2019, have the experienced Rudy Fernandez to lead their title defence. However, fellow veteran Ricky Rubio will be missing after announcing a break from the NBA to “take care of my mental health”.

The US have been drawn with Greece, New Zealand and Jordan, and will face stiff competition from other countries studded with NBA talent. Dallas Mavericks guard Doncic will bring his star power to Slovenia’s team in Group F, where they will play Cape Verde, Georgia and Venezuela on the southern Japanese island of Okinawa.

Minnesota forward Karl-Anthony Towns and the Boston Celtics centre Al Horford will suit up for the Dominican Republic, while Oklahoma City Thunder guard Josh Giddey will play for Australia. However, Milwaukee Bucks superstar

Giannis Antetokounmpo will not appear for Greece,

after undergoing knee surgery at the end of the NBA season.

NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic will not be in Serbia’s line-up, as he has opted to rest after leading Denver to their first NBA championship in June. Nuggets teammate Jamal Murray of Canada has done the same.

French sensation Victor Wembanyama, the top pick in June’s NBA Draft, is missing as he prepares for his first season with the San Antonio Spurs. But Tokyo Olympics silver medallists France could still be a threat to the US with the likes of Los Angeles Clippers forward Nicolas Batum, Knicks guard Evan Fournier and Minnesota centre Gobert in their ranks.

Canada were rocked by the withdrawal of star guard Murray last week, but they can still boast a strong squad with Oklahoma guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Knicks forward R.J. Barrett and Houston Rockets forward Dillon Brooks. AFP