It was a close call for Team USA. Nobody denied that. LeBron James was the one who pulled off a jaw-dropping clutch performance to save the team with a 101-100 win against South Sudan in the exhibition game. However, fans losing hope in the team won’t be very helpful. NBA legend Tim Hardaway and Olympic gold medalist gave a strict reminder to fans as to why they should continue showing their support to the team.

“It’s negative energy, negative. What I want to say, speaking negative towards the USA basketball, men’s basketball team. Just because you struggle in one game doesn’t mean that you all should stop losing faith in these guys. They’re not going to blow out people,” Hardaway said in his IG post. 

As Hardaway pointed out, netizens might have taken it a bit too far by calling it an “embarrassment” already. Many netizens complained that the team should have won at least by 20 points. The five-time NBA All-Star acknowledged that losing is an embarrassment, but winning by one or two points is not.

“Leave that alone. But let’s stop saying that it’s an embarrassment when we win by one or two. It’s an embarrassment that we’re not winning by 20. No, it’s not an embarrassment. If we lose, then it’d be an embarrassment,” Hardaway said.

He reminded everyone that Team USA’s matchup against South Sudan was a wake-up call for the players and would only help boost the team’s power. Furthermore, he highlighted that some of the best Olympic teams have also faced similar matchups. 

The USA Basketball Men’s Select Team handed defeat to the Dream Team

Hardaway spoke about the 2000 Team USA, of which he was a part. He recalled how the team struggled but finally managed to win the gold medal by defeating France. “Okay, the 92 Dream Team, they lost, you know, to the scrimmage, to the USA Select team,” Hardaway reminded.

The Dream Team of 1992 doesn’t need an introduction. It featured some of the biggest names in the NBA, such as Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and more. Who would have thought that a group of college players could defeat these NBA greats? But, they did.

Grant Hill, Jamal Mashburn, Allan Houston, Bobby Hurley, Eric Montross, Chris Webber, Anfernee Hardaway, and others were part of the Select Team that George Raveling brought in for the scrimmage. In the first game, this team was able to defeat one of the best and most elite basketball teams ever created. Hill called it one of the highlights of his career.

But that’s not the main point. As Hardaway mentioned, sometimes a team needs a wake-up call. For the Dream Team, this was it. Naturally, following this wake-up call, the Dream Team made it tougher for the Select team to come close to winning against them. And most are aware of the history that the Dream Team went on to create. 

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting pilot episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and SEC All-Freshman Team Selection, Silas Demary Jr.