Team USA is about to begin its quest for gold in the 2024 Paris Olympics. And ahead of the star-studded roster’s anticipated journey, Skip Bayless decided to lay down a hot take. The basketball analyst revealed that none of the rival nations were afraid of the heavyweights, sparking discussion everywhere.
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Bayless initially backed them to win the competition. However, he soon discussed the challenges the team could face. The analyst candidly pointed out how the rest of the world had improved significantly, and this combined with rivals’ desire to win could pose a major challenge to Team USA. Expressing this viewpoint, the 72-year-old mentioned,
“I do think our guys will win the gold medal. But it ain’t gonna be easy…Because all these teams are much better than they used to be and none of these teams are afraid of us…These teams are too good and they are too proud and listen, they are gonna fight for their countries and sometimes, they’re gonna fight for their countries even harder than we fight for our country”.
Team USA is now a 12.5-point favorite over Serbia, but @RealSkipBayless isn’t calling this a cakewalk:
“Serbia is serious business. None of these teams are afraid of us.” pic.twitter.com/0n5nO7hDGx
— The Facility (@TheFacilityFS1) July 25, 2024
The discussion surfaced while previewing Team USA’s opening game in the Olympics. Initially, they were deemed favorites to defeat Serbia by 15.5 points. However, the odds soon shifted in the opposition’s favor, dropping to 12.5. This validated Bayless‘ concerns while raising questions about the heavyweights.
Given Team USA’s lackluster displays in recent exhibition games, it’s tough to blame the doubters. Against South Sudan, for instance, the roster was on the verge of humiliation before narrowly escaping with a one-point win. A similar instance occurred during the third quarter against Germany, where the defending FIBA World Champs outscored them by 10 points to take the lead.
On both occasions, LeBron James led Team USA to victory. However, there are significant doubts about whether the 39-year-old talisman can replicate these heroics during the Olympics. As a result, the rest of the roster’s recent inconsistencies have worried the fans.
Despite these concerns, the plethora of talent within Team USA remains unmatched. The key challenge is to find the right mix within the team as soon as possible, with the world eagerly awaiting their journey in the Olympics.
