- Anthony Edwards made the Team USA roster for the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup but wasn’t a starter initially
- The Timberwolves star made his case during training and games and is now set to be a starter for them
- Gilbert Arenas claims the reason he wasn’t a starter, to begin with, is his being signed to Adidas
Team USA has been the center of a lot of discussions this offseason as they prepare for the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup starting later in August. The roster has been a point of contention among fans, with many claiming that it is simply not good enough.
One of those vocal critics has been Gilbert Arenas, who has called it a sorry lineup of players. And he has now given a hot take on Anthony Edwards originally not being deemed a starter on the team, giving an interesting reason for it.
“He wasn’t starting?” Arenas said about the game Team USA played. “We’re not doing this… Forget the shoe, we already know. What makes you think, who on the team is better than him for him to even come off the bench?
“F**k the shoe like I understand the shoe companies, but like, as a coach. Stop… Nothing, that’s what they do. No, it’s all politics of shoes. The best player on the team is an Adidas guy, it’s a Nike-sponsored thing… They gonna try.”
This is some interesting insight into the situation by Arenas. Anthony Edwards is just 22 years old, but he averaged 24.6 points per game in the NBA last season. He was also an All-Star. There aren’t that many other NBA All-Stars on the roster, so it is baffling that he wasn’t the starter, to begin with for sure.
Gilbert Arenas Thinks Trae Young Didn’t Make It To Team USA Because Of Sneaker Politics, Too
While many fans may not think of this, it seems like Gilbert Arenas is convinced that sneaker politics has a lot to do with the national basketball team. He even mentioned it as a reason that Trae Young didn’t make it.
“It’s that sorry a** other brand! It’s that other brand! It’s that other brand, man! They be doing too MFing much!”
Team USA needs to maintain its dominance in international basketball even if the FIBA World Cup isn’t as important as the Olympics. With a lack of premium talent on the roster to begin with, the hope is that this is just a theory and it’s not actually how decisions are being made by Team USA.
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