Rudy Gay Calls Out NBA Players Who Played For Team USA

Rudy Gay shared what he believes is the real reason why Team USA failed to win a medal at the 2023 FIBA World Cup.

4 Min Read

Credit: Fadeaway World

  • Team USA failed to even win a medal at the 2023 FIBA World Cup
  • Coaching and fielding a weakened team have been pointed out as the biggest reasons why
  • Rudy Gay says the problem is something else

The fallout continues from Team USA’s disappointing fourth-placed finish at the 2023 FIBA World Cup. 17-year NBA veteran Rudy Gay has now chimed in on the situation, and he has pointed out what he believes is the reason why they failed in the tournament.

“Nothing to do with coaching or whether it’s a B or C team. These other countries have players that would die to be there, we have players that were chosen.”

It is a fair point from the 37-year-old that a lot of these players on other teams would die to play for their country at the World Cup. There are only a few players for Team USA, if any, that play with that kind of passion and desire. No one is really fighting for a chance to represent the nation, and hardly anyone volunteers to play.

The players are always chosen by the committee, and almost every tournament sees some of them decline to participate as they just want to focus on getting ready for the NBA season. An NBA championship seems worth a lot more than a gold medal at an international tournament.


 Rudy Gay Won The FIBA World Cup Twice With Team USA

In the last six editions of the FIBA World Cup, the U.S. won a medal on just three occasions. They only won the gold twice, in 2010 and 2014, and Gay was on both teams.

In the 2010 edition in Turkey, he averaged 7.0 points, 2.9 rebounds, 0.7 assists, and 1.0 steals per game. The team went 9-0 to clinch the gold medal for the first time since 1994. 

Four years later they were in Spain and again went a perfect 9-0 to win the gold medal. Gay averaged 6.0 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.0 steals per game. He certainly has the credentials to speak on the matter.


Head Coach Steve Kerr Explained The Reasons Behind Their Poor Showing

Steve Kerr has enjoyed tremendous success as head coach of the Golden State Warriors, winning four championships. His first tournament as head coach of the national team has been anything but a success. 

Kerr spoke after Team USA’s loss in the bronze medal game, and he shared a few reasons why he felt they came up short. Kerr pointed to the lack of continuity affecting the players, as there is so much roster turnover.

He also felt that the difference in the FIBA game compared to the NBA is something they need to do a better job of adjusting to. Those are some fair points, but you’d still expect better from both the players and the coaching staff.

This loss has now put a lot of pressure on Team USA at the 2024 Paris Olympics. If that ends in disappointment, then there is going to be a lot of backlash coming their way. LeBron James sparked speculation of him playing for Team USA at the 2024 Olympics, and if he plays, you’d certainly love their chances of winning the gold.

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Gautam Varier is a staff writer and columnist for Fadeaway World from Mumbai, India. He graduated from Symbiosis International University with a Master of Business specializing in Sports Management in 2020. This educational achievement enables Gautam to apply sophisticated analytical techniques to his incisive coverage of basketball, blending business acumen with sports knowledge.Before joining Fadeaway World in 2022, Gautam honed his journalistic skills at Sportskeeda and SportsKPI, where he covered a range of sports topics with an emphasis on basketball. His passion for the sport was ignited after witnessing the high-octane offense of the Steve Nash-led Phoenix Suns. Among the Suns, Shawn Marion stood out to Gautam as an all-time underrated NBA player. Marion’s versatility as a defender and his rebounding prowess, despite being just 6’7”, impressed Gautam immensely. He admired Marion’s finishing ability at the rim and his shooting, despite an unconventional jump shot, believing that Marion’s skill set would have been even more appreciated in today’s NBA.This transformative experience not only deepened his love for basketball but also shaped his approach to sports writing, enabling him to connect with readers through vivid storytelling and insightful analysis.
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