Amid a mass exodus of superstars and other high-caliber players this summer, Team USA just lost its first game on the international stage in 13 years. It is getting no sympathy from Marc Gasol however.
In an ESPN interview this week, the Spanish center spoke on the relatively dire straits for the depleted Americans in the wake of their loss in exhibition play to the Australian Boomers.
“I think all teams miss people,” said Gasol, per EuroHoops. “Obviously, Team USA has so many great names that it’s different for them, but also, they have a lot of talent coming up. There’s always a time of transition for teams; maybe for them it’s been all at once, but at some point, there’s always that point of transition. I don’t feel bad for them because they still have a whole bunch of talent coming up.
“We miss [Nikola] Mirotic, [Serge] Ibaka, Pau [Gasol], Sergio Rodriguez, [Alex] Abrines,” Gasol added about the Spanish team. “We miss a whole bunch of guys. To me, it’s all excuses if you want to make them. With the void of some players comes an opportunity for other players to step up.”
Of course, Gasol, 34, has suffered plenty heartbreak at the hands of Team USA over the years. The most notable moments came in the 2008 and 2012 Olympics as well as at the 2014 FIBA World Cup when the United States won the tournament with Spain as the host nation.
In any case however, Spain is not the only team that appears to be relishing in the vulnerability of Team USA heading into this year’s World Cup.
