Kemba Walker believes the U.S. men’s national basketball team has come a long way in a short time.
The Boston Celtics and Team USA point guard detailed the lessons the U.S. learned since they assembled earlier this month in preparation for the 2019 FIBA World Cup. Team USA in recent weeks has held two training camps, scrimmaged against each other, a younger group of national-teamers and G-League players and played four exhibition games against international foes.
Walker believes three weeks of organized basketball have unified the U.S. players and given them clear ideas about their responsibilities.
“I think just confidence, the togetherness, we’re definitely a lot further along than when we played against Spain (on Aug. 16),” Walker told USA Basketball’s website. “When we played against Spain we were just a new team, trying to figure things out, trying to make the team. Now we’re much better, especially being on this trip, these four games for us have been great.
“We’re just a better team overall now. Guys know their roles, know what they have to do to help this team win.”
As the U.S. seeks its third consecutive World Cup triumph, Walker emphasizes one positive thing this cast of up-and-coming stars must do in order to accomplish their goal.
“A lot of us are primary scorers on our (NBA) teams, but right now, USA Basketball, it’s not about that,” he said. “It’s about us sacrificing and understanding how we can help this team win games. That’s the only way we can do it. We’ve seen it in these games, especially in that loss against Australia. There were times where I would try to go one on one and make a home run play, or Donovan (Mitchell) or the next man would try it. It showed us no one man can do it himself.
“We have to move the basketball as much as we can. Sometimes we get into times where we try to do it individually. We’re not going to win like that. We have to get rid of the ball, trust in each other. Right now the best thing I’ve seen is the trust we have in each other, and we need that to win.”
The World Cup will run between Aug. 31 and Sept. 15 in China. Team USA will begin pool play Sept. 1 against the Czech Republic, then battle Turkey on Sept. 3 and Japan on Sept. 5 in the preliminary round finale.
U.S. fans hope the team will use the lessons Walker details throughout the tournament in order to reach a successful conclusion.
