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Warriors’ Steve Kerr gives Erik Spoelstra Team USA stamp of approval as ‘perfect choice’
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- Warriors’ Steve Kerr gives Erik Spoelstra Team USA stamp of approval as ‘perfect choice’
The post Warriors' Steve Kerr gives Erik Spoelstra Team USA stamp of approval as 'perfect choice' appeared first on ClutchPoints .
While longtime Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra has high expectations as the likely head coach of Team USA at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, he has the approval of Steve Kerr . After the Golden State Warriors ' practice on Friday afternoon, the former head coach of Team USA's 2024 gold medal squad discussed how Spoelstra will succeed him in maintaining the gold standard of USA basketball.
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"[Spoelstra's] incredible. He's a phenomenal coach," Kerr said. "I think just watching him the last two summers and getting to know him up close, rather than from afar where I've admired him for so long, I got a first-hand glimpse at what a great coach he is."
Spoelstra, as the head coach of Team USA in 2028, marks the fourth straight Olympics the United States will have a different coach. Mike Krzyzewski held the position in 2008, 2012, and 2016 before the San Antonio Spurs' legendary coach Gregg Popovich took over in 2021, followed by Kerr in 2024. Spoelstra was one of Kerr's assistants in Paris, which he believes should help him in 2028.
"I think assistant coaching [for Team USA] is almost a prerequisite for coaching USA. It's really a different job. And now he has that experience, which, like I did with Pop in the World Cup in '19 and the Olympics in '21. So Spo was the perfect choice."
The task at hand in 2028
With Spoelstra, Team USA basketball seeks its sixth straight gold medal. It'll be as tough a task as ever, as the world has collectively gotten a lot better since the days of the Dream Team in 1992. With international talent like Serbia's Nikola Jokic, France's Victor Wembanyama, and Canada's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, it's no longer an absolute certainty that the U.S will sweep through the Olympics like in years past.
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Additionally, Team USA faces considerable turnover from the team that won gold in 2024. Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, and LeBron James will be in their 40s by the time 2028 comes around. As such, the players who will play in Los Angeles, as the United States hosts the 2028 Olympics, will be taking on a responsibility they have not yet carried themselves.
Anthony Edwards, Jayson Tatum, Anthony Davis, Devin Booker, Tyrese Haliburton, and Spoelstra's own guy, Bam Adebayo, all previous gold medalists, are names Team USA would certainly be interested in if they choose to play. Emerging talents like Chet Holmgren, Paolo Banchero, and Cooper Flagg are also players to watch as 2028 approaches.
Regardless, Spoelstra has the next three years to prepare for one of the most anticipated international basketball events in Olympic history. Spoelstra will also coach Team USA at the 2027 World Cup before the 2028 Summer Olympics.
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