The basketball team of UNITED STATES emerged as one of the favorites to win the worldbut as happened in previous editions of the ecumenical event, the Team USAwith a coaching staff and NBA players, added new frustration by falling 127-118 in front of Canada in overtime in Manila, Philippines, in the duel for third place.

Before the final of FIBA World Cup, where Germany was champion for the first time in its history (83-77 against Serbia), two candidate teams competed for the bronze medal before competing for gold. Neither the United States nor Canada, both with elite squads, were able to defeat the Europeans and had to settle for the last step of the podium.

The Canadians, led by Spaniard Jordi Fernández, have managed to put together an exceptional team with several NBA standouts such as Dillon Brooks, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Kelly Olynyk And Rowan Barrett, among others, and, in addition to qualifying for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, they won an emotional match against their northern neighbors in overtime. When it seemed that victory was in the hands of Canada, Michael Bridges He tied the game at 111 with a last-second triple.

In overtime, Canada confirmed his scoring power with a remarkable streams, top scorer of the match with 39 points, accompanied by Gilgeous-Alexander (31) and Rowan Alexander (23). In the casting led by Steve Kerr, they did not reach the 24 points of their star, Anthony Edwardsnor the 23 Austin Reaves.

“We put ourselves in a great position, we reached the semi-finals and we were close to the goal, but we didn’t defend enough against Germany or Canada, that’s the main thing,” said Kerr after the defeat. This is the second consecutive World Cup which UNITED STATESwith a complete list of NBA players, finds himself without a podium. The same thing happened in China 2019, where the Americans succumbed in the quarterfinals to France.

The United States is the basketball team that has won the World Cup the most times with 5 titles (3rd runner-up) and had just won the 2010 (Turkey) and 2014 (Spain) editions with a big difference over its rivals. In recent years, despite the presence of exceptional NBA players, they have failed to achieve the dominance they boast of. This nickname of absolute favorite worked against them and attracted criticism, even from other athletes from their own country.

One of the clearest examples is what happens at every end of the NBA. The team that wins the ring is considered “World champion” of basketball, when in reality, said title corresponds to the team best positioned in the competition with teams from other nations. This new defeat of the Americans is a new blow to their egocentrism.

The American athlete Noah Lylesthree-time world champion in the 100, 200 meters and 4×100 relay at Budapest 2023, threw a dart after the United States basketball team lost to Germany in the semi-final.

“I have to watch the NBA Finals and see how they are called world champions. World champion of what? The United States? Do not mistake yourself. I like the United States sometimes, but we are not the world. Here we are the world. Almost all countries fight among themselves, to win, using their flags to show that they are represented. In the NBA, there are no flags. We must do more. We must represent the world”, he declared during his competition. This testimony takes on even more force after the fall of the giant during the Basketball World Cup.

THE FINAL POSITIONS OF THE BASKETBALL WORLD CUP

1- Germany

2- Serbia

3- Canada

4- United States

5- Latvia

6- Lithuania

7- Slovenia

8- Italy

9- Spain

10- Australia

11- Montenegro

12- Puerto Rico