Mighty Team USA in town for FIBA World Cup redemption bid

MANILA, Philippines – The big guns are here.

Team United States of America (USA), the mighty favorites, arrived in the Philippines Tuesday morning with redemption as the only thing in mind for the coming FIBA Basketball World Cup.

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— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) August 22, 2023

Following a rare quarterfinal exit in the 2019 edition held in China, a vengeful USA team that swept all of its tune-ups brims with confidence to get vindication in Manila in spite of a youthful unit without perennial NBA stars.

And the Americans, under the watch of multi-champion coach Steve Kerr of the Golden State Warriors, will have ample time to furnish their preparations for that goal before the hostilities fire off on August 25 to September 10 here.

Team USA is bunched with Greece, New Zealand and Jordan in Group C that is designated to play at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City along with Group D’s Montenegro, Lithuania, Egypt and Mexico.

Joining Kerr in the USA delegation were his assistant coaches Tyronn Lue of the Los Angeles Clippers, Filipino-American pride Erik Spoelstra of the Miami Heat and Chip Engelland, a former national team member for the Philippines as a naturalized player.

NBA All-Star guard Anthony Edwards (Minnesota), reigning Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr. (Memphis), Rookie of the Year Paolo Banchero (Orlando) and Brandon Ingram (New Orleans) banner the young USA team.

Also in the fold are Los Angeles Lakers’ Austin Reaves, New York’s Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart, Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton, Brooklyn’s Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson, Bobby Portis (Milwaukee) and Jordan Clarkson’s teammate Walker Kessler of Utah.

FIBA World Cup deputy event director Erika Dy and Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) official Ryan Gregorio personally welcomed Team USA at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

Team USA is coming off a productive training camp in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, where it drubbed Greece, 108-86, before coming back against Germany, 99-91.

The Americans, who vented their ire in Tokyo Olympics for their fourth straight gold after a dismal seventh-place finish in the last World Cup, also bested Puerto Rico, 117-74, Slovenia, 92-62, and Spain, 98-88, for a 5-0 record in tune-up games.

Team USA’s arrival came on the heels of the earlier landing of the Dominican Republic, Gilas Pilipinas’ first opponent’ in Group A, on Monday night.

Other teams expected to arrive Tuesday were Puerto Rico, Italy, New Zealand and Serbia while Lithuania, China, South Sudan and Jordan are scheduled Wednesday to complete the 16 of the 32 World Cup teams assigned in Manila.

Montenegro, Angola, Mexico, Egypt and Greece were the first to arrive in the Philippines, which will serve as the main host of the world basketball showpiece with Japan and Indonesia as co-hosts for the group play.