Four months after the Olympic Games, a gold medal won against France and the end of Steve Kerr's adventure on the bench, Team USA has still not announced its new coach.
And the wait should still last a while since there is no urgency with the next World Cup only being contested in 2027 and the Olympic Games in 2028. There is therefore no point in loading a certain pressure, for several months, on a coach when there is no big deadline in the very short term.
Especially since the trend has been known since this summer: Eric Spoelstra And Tyron Lue are the big favorites to succeed the Golden State coach. And everyone seems ready to put on the costume.
“That would be amazing,” responds to The Athletic Tyronn Lue, who could thus lead the American team in the Intuit Dome, the Clippers' venue, chosen to host the Olympic tournament in 2028 in Los Angeles. “Being the coach in your own room would obviously be very cool. But there is a long way to go before that. Being the coach of Team USA would be an honor, a blessing, but I keep in mind that it's two years away and Erik Spoelstra has been a part of USA Basketball longer than me. »
Spoelstra or Lue, Team USA will be “in good hands”
The Miami coach has been working with Team USA for three years, compared to two for the Clippers. The first city, too, would have no trouble gaining ground.
“I will do anything for USA Basketball,” announces the double NBA champion. “It should be like that for anyone, players and staff. It’s such an experience, such an honor, so we do it. We cannot miss these experiences. I will accept any role. »
Both candidates have international experience, as assistants to Steve Kerr, NBA titles and Finals galore: six Finals, two titles for Erik Spoelstra against three Finals and one title for Tyronn Lue, and they have coached greats names. In short, they have the right profile and the Clippers technician confirms it by indicating that “the program is in good hands”it doesn't matter if it's him or his counterpart who collects the keys.
