Local media “Clutch Point” reported on the 19th (Korea time) that “Miami Heat coach Eric Spoelstra and LA Clippers coach Tyrone Lou are considered new candidates for the U.S. national team.”
The Dream Team, which was composed of luxurious members including LeBron James and Stephen Curry, won the gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, achieving its fifth consecutive victory. It also recovered its tarnished reputation by ranking fourth at the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
The Paris Olympics are likely to be the last international competition under coach Steve Kerr. The World Cup and the Olympics were targeted by Kerr, who was appointed as the national team coach in 2021 after Greg Popovich. Although it has not been officially announced yet, local media are pouring out articles predicting the replacement, making it a fact that coach Kerr will give up the baton for the national team.
Coach Spoelstra and Lou, who were mentioned as candidates, assisted Kerr at the Paris Olympics. They also established successful careers as coaches in the NBA.
In particular, Spoelstra became a coach through a solid process, starting with a video coordinator and an assistant coach, and gave Miami two wins. Some people devalued the win, saying it was thanks to the luxurious power of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosch, but Spoelstra proved his ability by leading Miami to an Eastern Conference powerhouse even after they all left. In January, he signed an extension contract for a total of $120 million for eight years.
Coach Lu has a lot of experience as a leader as well as as a player. Coach Lu, who came up as a coach after his coaching experience with the Boston Celtics, Clippers, and Cleveland Cavaliers, reached the playoffs three times in four seasons after being appointed as the Clippers coach in 2020. Although he was recently mentioned as a candidate for the next coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, he signed a five-year, $70 million extension with the Clippers.
Dream has won five consecutive games, but the gap with the world stage has been narrowing. Dream beat Serbia in the semifinals of the Paris Olympics, and the gold medal match against France was also close. It is also likely that this will be the last Olympics where James, Curry, and Kevin Durant, who were key players, participated.
Carmelo Anthony predicted that the U.S. will have even fiercer competition with strong European teams including France going forward, while Clyde Drexler also said, “If it’s the 1992 Dream Team, we can easily beat the 1996 Dream Team.”
Of course, the coach of the Dream Team is still an honorable post. Furthermore, the 2028 Olympics will be held in Los Angeles. It has been 32 years since the 1996 Atlanta Olympics that the U.S. has hosted the Olympic Games. Although the games have to undergo a generational change, they will be able to motivate the Dream Team or the new coach.메이저사이트
“Clutch Point” also said that a new coach should re-organize the roster. It will be a daunting challenge, but many coaches still want to work for the national team. Anthony Edwards, Devin Booker and Anthony Davis are at an age when they can participate in the next Olympics