Team USA news: So much has been said about Joel Embiid’s now-viral comments about LeBron James no longer being the same monster that he was several years ago. By saying so, most folks believe that Embiid implied that Team USA might struggle against the competition in the Olympics because of their aging roster.
National squad head coach Steve Kerr has now broken his silence on Embiid’s controversial take and as expected, the Golden State Warriors shot-caller was quick to play down the issue at hand.
Team USA News: Steve Kerr Downplays Joel Embiid’s Comments
Speaking to the press on Thursday ahead of Team USA’s Olympic opener against Nikola Jokic and Serbia on Sunday, Kerr did all he could to apply some damage control on Embiid’s remarks. At the same time, however, the four-time NBA champion coach made it abundantly clear that he has no doubt about the capabilities of his team.
“I don’t really don’t think it’s a big deal,” Kerr said, via Joe Vardon of The Athletic. “I think it’s a fact that LeBron’s 39, Steph is 36. It doesn’t change the fact that LeBron’s still a hell of a player. He took over the last two games.
“We really like the balance on this team of age and experience, and none of that stuff matters other than coming together as a team and bringing the collective competitive force to a higher level. And we’re definitely capable of doing that.”
Kerr could not have said it any better. At the end of the day, a player’s age won’t really matter so long as he is still able to play at an elite level. This is exactly what LeBron has been doing in the build-up to the Olympics, and this is also what he is expected to do once the Games officially begin.
For More NBA Content:
Follow me on Twitter at @PaoloSongcoNBA, and follow us @HardwoodHeroics. You can also reach out to Paolo Songco via email at [email protected]. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest NBA news, click here!