Source: VCG / Getty
Team USA’s 58-game winning streak in FIBA and Olympic Competition while using NBA players has been snapped. The shaky squad comprised of some of the NBA’s “best” was handed an L by Team France.
Team USA’s 2019 men’s basketball roster comprised of Myles Turner, Kemba Walker, Harrison Barnes, and more didn’t sound like a Gold Medal-winning squad. Today (September 11) France led by Frank Ntilikina, Rudy Gobert, Evan Fournier, and Nicolas Batum confirmed that belief. They handed the Gregg Popovich led squad an embarrassing 89-79 loss.
With this loss, the best Team USA can do in the FIBA tournament in China is placing 5th, knocking them out of medal contention. Despite Donovan Mitchell’s best efforts, Team USA failed to score down the stretch. France went on a 15-2 run to seal the deal ending the USA squad’s hopes of winning its third consecutive third cup.
Up until today, Team France was 0-9 in competitions against Team USA with most of the affairs being lopsided. Welp that will no longer be the case with France moving on in their quest to bring home the gold for their country. As you can imagine, some on Twitter are not shocked this JV Team USA squad that actually has Harrison Barnes on it lost. Others are using the opportunity to absolutely clown the team.
Losses like this usually build character, just ask the 2006 Team USA squad who sadly had to settle for a Bronze Medal. That team had LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, and Chris Bosh on it. Looks like another “redeem team” is on the way…we hope. Anyway hit the gallery below to see the reactions to France embarrassing Team USA below.
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Photo: VCG / Getty
1.
Phil Jackson, somewhere in Montana, seeing Frank Ntilikina take down team USA. #FIBAWC pic.twitter.com/SNgEQycY0C
— Ned (@ned7821) September 11, 2019
2.
Hope the Knicks coaches and executives are watching Frank Ntilikina this morning.
— Steve Popper (@StevePopper) September 11, 2019
3.
Knicks have plenty of guards -- Dennis Smith Jr., RJ Barrett, Allonzo Trier, Damyean Doytson, Elfrid Payton, Wayne Eliington -- but Frank Ntilikina deserves his first REAL chance.
— Stefan Bondy (@SBondyNYDN) September 11, 2019
4.
$141M getting cooked by Frank Ntilikina pic.twitter.com/sIvBx7knbR
— 😎 Brady/Glenn 2021 (@WentzMVP) September 11, 2019
5.
France VS Team USA. pic.twitter.com/0xb461HMwR
— Jordanowski (@Jorda_NBA) September 11, 2019
6.
#TeamUSA Ayo. We can downplay TEAM USA losing to #France if we choose to, but Losing is 1 thing. Not MEDALING IS EMBARRASSING....Not knocking the players (kinda of am lol), but whn was the las tym TEAM USA BASKETBALL DIDNT MEDAL! pic.twitter.com/2gHQ9ftx4m
— TeamCeL (@CeLBiz) September 11, 2019
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8.
The hope was that Frank Ntilikina would walk away from this tournament with a boost of confidence... hard to imagine a scenario that would give him more confidence than making arguably the two biggest jumpers in French basketball history to beat Team USA pic.twitter.com/oLjsYyNYu3
— Tommy Beer (@TommyBeer) September 11, 2019
9.
Team USA Basketball not winning the gold medal is disappointing but not surprising. The rest of the world is catching up in talent and other national teams have higher levels of continuity. Hats off to the players who are repping the US - they are doing it the right way. 👍💪🇺🇸
— Andrew Yang🧢🗽🇺🇸 (@AndrewYang) September 11, 2019
10.
Team USA after losing to France on 9/11 pic.twitter.com/ZaPclI0JaA
— Josiah Johnson (@KingJosiah54) September 11, 2019
11.
Total points scored over the final seven minutes of the 4th quarter in France’s victory over America:
— Tommy Beer (@TommyBeer) September 11, 2019
Frank Ntilikina: 7
Team USA: 5
12.
13.
Team USA | Full highlights | Fiba Basketball World Cup 2019. pic.twitter.com/alQOwHoKBT
— Usuario Arroba (@Mongolear) September 11, 2019
14.
Team USA falls to France... pic.twitter.com/9ZceJNEht2
— Yahoo Sports NBA (@YahooSportsNBA) September 11, 2019
15.
France trailed Team USA by seven points when Ntilikina checked back in the game with 8:11 left in the fourth quarter.
— Tommy Beer (@TommyBeer) September 11, 2019
France outscored USA by 17 points over the final 8 mins.
Ntilikina (7 pts) outscored Kemba and Donvovan Mitchell combined in 4th quarterpic.twitter.com/MSehBihDlG
16.
Team USA really lost on 9/11 pic.twitter.com/vUztHTChfT
— kyle/Free agent nba fan (@knicks_tape99) September 11, 2019
17.
NBA fans watching Team USA lose with four Celtics on the roster pic.twitter.com/rFMaI2BG0u
— Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) September 11, 2019
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19.
Frank Ntilikina putting Kemba Walker in jail all game and hitting daggers to send the USA aka Celtics core home early ???? #FIBAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/9CpIGTW7Xx
— #Knockstape (@212NYNY) September 11, 2019
20.
Frank Ntilikina stans today
— Joey Langone (@JoeyLangone) September 11, 2019
pic.twitter.com/by9Rk445pp