The USA Men’s Basketball Team lost for the first time in 17 years on Sunday morning, falling 83-76 to France in a stunning upset.
If you’re waking up and excited to see how badly the USA beat France in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, go back to bed.
On Sunday morning, the USA was shocked in a 83-76 defeat that concluded with the Frenchmen going on a 16-2 run to win. For the Americans, it’s the first time since 2004 the team has lost in Olympic competition, harkening back to the worst of times for the program.
For many, the loss is surprising but also a long time coming. The roster appears to be the weakest it has been in perhaps a decade, even with stars such as Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker, Milwaukee Bucks forward Jrue Holiday, Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard and Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant all on the squad.
After the game, the reaction on Twitter was predictable:
Can the USA Basketball team still win the gold medal?
So what next for the Men’s team as it tries to medal in these games?
On Wednesday, the Americans try to rebound against Iran at 12:40 p.m. ET, before playing again on the 31st against an opponent to be determined. From there, it’s the Men’s Quarterfinals on Aug. 3, the semifinals on Aug. 5 with the Gold Medal Game on Aug. 6 and Bronze Medal Game on Aug. 7.
At 0-1 in the tournament, the USA needs desperately to beat Iran before thinking about some more tough competition, such as Spain, Argentina, Australia and potentially France again.