If Friday’s scrimmages indicated anything for the long term, it showed that Team USA will continue to be in good hands for the foreseeable future.
Preparing for the 2023 FIBA World Cup — which is slated to start on Aug. 25 — the young Select team gave the main roster a run for its money.
USA Select — highlighted by Oklahoma City Thunder teammates Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams — reportedly defeated the World Cup team in two consecutive 10-minute scrimmages during their training camp in Las Vegas on Friday.
USA Select members will get a chance to serve as replacements for the World Cup roster before the start of the tournament. Considering how young the Select roster is, this likely serves as a sneak peek as to what the future Team USA roster will look like.
“When you have USA around your chest, it definitely means something more,” Williams said.
Williams and Holmgren are two of the Thunder’s pillars of their young core. Williams finished an impressive rookie campaign that saw him finish second in Rookie of the Year while Holmgren continues to build up an impressive offseason after he missed the entire 2022-23 year rehabbing his foot injury,
“It definitely means a little bit more representing the country and I try to do so to the best of my abilities,” Holmgren said.
USA’s Select team defeated USA’s FIBA World Cup team in two consecutive 10-minute scrimmages at training camp today 😳
(Via @BenGolliver ) pic.twitter.com/OPBKrU0IRH
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) August 4, 2023
The best of the best from 🇺🇸 #USABMNT scrimmage against the Select Team pic.twitter.com/PmX5QEfP0a
— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) August 4, 2023
The 🇺🇸 #USABMNT Select Team got after it in today’s joint scrimmage 👇 pic.twitter.com/9Sx71yYktA
— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) August 4, 2023
Chet & JDub getting to work at the first USA Select practice 🤝 pic.twitter.com/wcItBgp1ye
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) August 4, 2023
Gaining experience and competing 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/3hoiHuA4zd
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) August 4, 2023
Jalen Williams after the first day of training camp with the USA Select Team 🎙 pic.twitter.com/Q56X7plwFn
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) August 4, 2023
Chet Holmgren after his first day of training camp with the USA Select Team 🎙 pic.twitter.com/RMjlYCXqUq
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) August 4, 2023
