{"id":1385581,"date":"2021-07-14T13:56:08","date_gmt":"2021-07-14T17:56:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/?p=1385581"},"modified":"2021-07-14T13:56:09","modified_gmt":"2021-07-14T17:56:09","slug":"gregg-popovich-tense-exchange-with-reporter-another-team-usa-loss-youll-be-quiet-now-while-i-talk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/news\/gregg-popovich-tense-exchange-with-reporter-another-team-usa-loss-youll-be-quiet-now-while-i-talk\/","title":{"rendered":"Gregg Popovich Has Tense Exchange With Reporter After Another Team USA Loss: \u2018You\u2019ll Be Quiet Now While I Talk\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

San Antonio Spurs<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Team USA head basketball coach Gregg Popovich<\/a>\u00a0can be prickly with the media on his best days. When things aren\u2019t going well, like after back-to-back exhibition losses for the first time in modern\u00a0\u201cDream Team\u201d history<\/a>, he can apparently be even more on edge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During a press conference following a 91-83 loss to Australia in an Olympic tune-up, Popovich took offense to a reporter\u2019s question and got testy with his answer. This isn\u2019t a good sign for future press conferences where Coach Pop might have more tough questions to answer if the struggles continue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Team USA Basketball has struggled in exhibition games ahead of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Team
Gregg Popovich | Photo by Ethan Miller\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Prior to this week\u2019s pre-Olympics mini tournament in Las Vegas, the U.S. men\u2019s basketball team had a 54-2 record in exhibition games dating back to the original Dream Team in 1992, per The Athletic<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the span of\u00a0two games against Nigeria and Australia, the current incarnation of the team doubled that loss total. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, Nigeria pulled a historic upset over the 2021 group of NBA stars, 90-87. Then, the team lost to one of the top teams in international basketball in Australia before righting the ship and beating Argentina 108-80.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These results go to show that Team USA will be tested in this international competition like never before. In addition to Nigeria and the Aussies, which both have several current and former NBA players, there are other strong teams in the 2021 Games as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

France features Rudy Gobert, Nicolas Batum, and Evan Fournier. Spain has the Gasol brothers, the Hernangomez brothers, and Ricky Rubio, and\u00a0Slovenia has Luka Doncic, and, well, it doesn\u2019t really matter who else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Head coach Gregg Popovich took offense to a reporter\u2019s question<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Popovich has an exchange with a reporter postgame Team USA loss to Australia #nba<\/a> #gospursgo<\/a> #teamusa<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/sedy3N45ra<\/a><\/p>— JeffGSpursKENS5 (@JeffGSpursZone) July 13, 2021<\/a><\/blockquote>