You Tube Gold: 2014 FIBA USA vs. Turkey
MADRID, SPAIN - SEPTEMBER 14: Kyrie Irving of the USA Men’s National Team celebrates after defeating the Serbia National Team during the 2014 FIBA World Cup Finals at Palacio de Deportes on September 14, 2014 in Madrid, Spain. | Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images
Featuring MVP Kyrie Irving
Two of the hallmarks of what Jerry Colangelo and Coach K built for USA Basketball are the system that allows dozens of players to be in the pipeline and flexible rosters with a focus on athleticism.
That was notable in 2014. USA Basketball brought DeMarcus Cousins, Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis, DeMar DeRozan, Andre Drummond, Kenneth Faried, Rudy Gay, James Harden, Kyrie Irving, Mason Plumlee, Derrick Rose and Klay Thompson.
That team had shot blocking, inside power, versatile wings, superb point guards and tremendous outside shooting.
They won FIBA of course, beating Serbia in the finals 129-92. Notable in this tournament: Australia was accused of tanking by losing to Angola. That allowed them the possibility of playing the US in the semifinals instead of the quarterfinals. Other teams blasted them for this but FIBA cleared them of any wrongdoing.
It demonstrated, as well as anything else might have, that the US had rebuilt an aura of invincibility.
In this game, the US faced Turkey and again won easily, 98-77.