The Team USA players have been together for a month now. It all started in Las Vegas, then extended to Malaga and Abu Dhabi before landing in Manila where the Americans are expected to stay for the entire competition.
Among Steve Kerr’s key elements are Austin Reaves. Unknown a year ago, he made a name for himself at the Lakers, and here he is, the 6th or 7th man in the United States.
“It’s great, and I didn’t really know how it was going to turn out. I didn’t know any of the players. But in fact, I have formed relationships with some of them” he explains to LA Times. “The common goal is to win. I feel like we did a good job of putting our egos aside and playing for the good of all. That’s what the staff has been preaching since day one. So it’s very pleasant and I think we’re playing quite well. Obviously, we can work on some points here and there. But I like what we’re doing so far. »
“Mikal Bridges is the player I get on with the best, on and off the pitch”
Among his teammates, it is with Mikal Bridges that the current flows best. The Nets winger impresses him as a player, and with his mentality.
“I didn’t know what to think of him at first. But it’s his drive. He’s never in a bad mood.” points out Austin Reaves. “You know at all times he’s going to do the right thing and have the right intentions for the game. He never has bad intentions. It’s always good. He takes care of everything. He doesn’t score much, but he does everything else. We were talking about it the other day, and he was like, ‘Dude, I don’t care. As long as I can put a gold medal around my neck, I don’t care. I don’t care what happens. As long as we win, I don’t care.’ It means a lot to me. You have to go back to last season, when he was playing in Brooklyn. After being traded, he went on to average over 25 points per game. He has the ball in his hands. It’s cool to see someone who can adapt like that, only care about winning. He’s the player I get on with the best, on and off the pitch. »
Clearly, the back of the Lakers did not think to build relationships so quickly with players he had never known. Players who are usually adversaries.
“I had no idea, to be honest. I didn’t think I was going to get close to four, five, even six guys… Like I told you when we were in Vegas, I really didn’t know what to expect. But being able to relate to all these guys – it’s not just Kal (Bridges) or Cam (Johnson), Tyrese (Haliburton). I was able to build relationships with each of them, with the coaches… The time we spend together, in a different country, is in a way fixed. Here it’s bustling if you try to get out of the hotel, so you’re kind of stuck in the hotel. We’re still together, and it’s great to be able to build these relationships. I didn’t know them and I didn’t necessarily intend to make friends. It happened naturally. »
