- Title: Popovich has angry exchange with reporter after Team USA loss
- Date: 13th July 2021
- Summary: LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, USA (JULY 12, 2021) (REUTERS) REPORTER'S QUESTION: What's it like for you to have watched your colleagues go through some of these tournaments and then blow these teams out, and now you are kind of experiencing a much different much closer, tougher experience? WHITE FLASH (SOUNDBITE) (English) GREGG POPOVICH, TEAM USA COACH, SAYING: "I mean let me also answer that question. You know you ask the same sort of question, the same family of questions last time, where you assume things that are not true. When you just mentioned you know blowing these teams out, that's never happened. So, I don't know where you get that." REPORTER AND POPOVICH ARGUE WITH POPOVICH ASKING IF HE CAN FINISH HIS STATEMENT (SOUNDBITE) (English) GREGG POPOVICH, TEAM USA COACH, SAYING: "Are you gonna let me finish my statement or not, will you be quiet now when I talk, and then I'll listen to you? "You make statements about in the past just blowing out these other teams, number one you give no respect to the other teams. I talked to you last time about the same thing, we've had very close games against four or five countries in all these tournaments so the good teams do not get blown out. There are certain games that might happen in one of the tournaments in the World Championship or Olympics where somebody gets blown out, but in general, nobody's blowing anybody out for the good teams. So, when you make a statement like that it's like you assume that's what's going on and that's incorrect." WHITE FLASH (SOUNDBITE) (English) GREGG POPOVICH, TEAM USA COACH, SAYING: "I was pleased, I thought we got better tonight. After a short time together there's a lot of things that have to be covered but the first half and the second half were two different beasts. In the first half we defended the way we wanted to defend, the way we did not defend against Nigeria, we were more physical, we sustained the defence longer, we rebounded better, we moved the ball better at the offensive end, and had more pace. In the second half we tired out, and when that happens you know you get hit mentally a little bit too. We didn't sustain the board the same way, the defence wasn't the same, the pace wasn't the same. We've got to get some guys that have to get their legs and rhythm back, but in general, we need more conditioning which is totally understandable and we're just sticking with the process of trying to get better with every game and we did that tonight, so I was pleased with what I saw."
- Embargoed: 27th July 2021 09:48
- Keywords: Olympics Popovich Team USA basketball question reporter
- Location: LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, USA
- City: LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, USA
- Country: USA
- Topics: Basketball,Sport,United States
- Reuters ID: LVA001ELOCG1R
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Coach Gregg Popovich had a heated exchange with a reporter on Monday (July 12) following Team USA's 91-83 Olympic exhibition defeat to Australia in Las Vegas.
The defeat was the second in three days following the first-ever loss to an African nation when the Americans fell 90-87 to Nigeria on Saturday.
At the post-game press conference, Popovich reacted to a question asking why the team were not blowing away opposition as they may have done in the past, requesting that the reporter be quiet so that he could finish his statement.
The Americans shot just 46.2 percent from the floor, compared to 52.9 percent for Australia, and were also outrebounded 32-25.
The defeat means that it is the first time Team USA have lost consecutive games since professionals began representing the country in 1992.
(Production: Andy Ragg) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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