Team USA looks to get on track in Olympics with matchup against France
Team USA will tip off its 2020 Olympic schedule on Sunday against a familiar foe in France.
The U.S. enters the Tokyo Games looking to secure its fourth consecutive gold medal after finishing on top in 2008, ‘12 and ‘16, while France will be seeking its first gold, having won silver as recently as 2000.
Despite dominating for decades, Team USA had a rocky leadup to these Summer Olympics, losing back-to-back games to Nigeria and Australia in exhibition play – equaling the total number of exhibition losses by the Americans since the original Dream Team's formation nearly 30 years ago.
That uneven run should come to and as Olympic play begins, for a number of reasons. First, the U.S. is 6-0 against France in the Olympics, with every game decided by double digits and an average margin of 30 – until the 2016 Rio Games, when they won by just three points. In 2019, France beat the U.S., 89-79 in the quarterfinals of the FIBA World Cup.
Team USA is led by San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, who coached the U.S. during their World Cup loss, and he's had his eye on Sunday’s matchup for some time.
"We've been preparing for France for two years," Popovich said on Monday. "I think about it every day."
And Team USA being whole with the arrival of a few key players who were still taking part in the NBA playoffs will be key, too.
Here's everything you need to know about Sunday's matchup.
Where and when can I watch?
The game between U.S. and France will be shown on NBC on Sunday at 8 a.m. ET.
How did we get here?
Twelve nations will compete in the men’s basketball competition in Tokyo. Seven countries – Argentina, Australia, France, Iran, Japan, Nigeria, Spain and the U.S. – qualified directly through the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019. Japan received automatic qualification as the event's host, and the final four countries – Czech Republic, Germany, Italy and Slovenia – qualified through the 2020 FIBA Men's Olympic Qualifying Tournament earlier this month.
The U.S. will compete in Group A alongside 2019 FIBA World Cup bronze medalist France, 2017 Asia Cup runner-up Iran (Tuesday at 12:40 a.m. ET) and Czech Republic (Saturday at 8:00 a.m. ET).
How does it work?
Group play will be held July 25-August 2. The top two teams in each group, as well as the two best third-place teams, advance to the quarterfinals, which are scheduled for August 3, followed by the semifinals on August 5 and the gold and bronze medal games on August 7.
Who is playing for Team USA?
Only two players are back from the 2016 gold medal team – Brooklyn Nets' superstar Kevin Durant and Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green. However, Team USA got an offensive boost when Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker, and newly-crowned NBA Champions Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday recently joined the team as reinforcements after previously being tied up with the NBA Finals.
Team USA also features the Miami Heat’s Bam Adebayo, Detroit Pistons’ Jerami Grant, Chicago Bulls’ Zach LaVine, Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum, San Antonio Spurs’ Keldon Johnson, Denver Nuggets’ JaVale McGee and – arguably the breakout star of ‘Space Jam 2’ – Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard.
Johnson and McGee were added to the roster as a couple of last-minute changes to their roster. Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal was held back due to health and safety protocols, while Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love opted out of the competition as he recovers from a pesky calf injury that limited him to just 25 games in NBA regular season.
What about France?
France also has a strong roster for the Tokyo Games, including NBA Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz, New York Knicks guard Frank Ntilikina, Clippers forward Nicolas Batum, Celtics wing Evan Fournier and Nets forward Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot.
What are some fun facts about Team USA?
The U.S. men have collected a medal (15 gold, one silver and two bronze) in all 18 Olympics in which they have competed, and the American men own a .965 winning percentage – the all-time record in Olympic action. Since NBA players began representing the United States in 1992, the USA has captured six gold medals and one bronze medal. Heading into Sunday, the U.S. men's team is on a 25-game Olympic win streak that dates back to the bronze medal game of the 2004 Athens Olympics.
Is there betting?
Of course! The United States is a -900 favorite to win outright, according to FOX Bet, meaning a $10 bet wins $11.11 total. The spread is USA -12, meaning Team USA is expected to win by at least 12 points. Otherwise, France covers.
For more up-to-date news on all things NBA, click here to register for alerts on the FOX Sports app!
