TEAM USA coach Steve Kerr laid down the law for his players after a film session highlighted their lack of effort.
The star-studded squad narrowly avoided a scare against South Sudan before beating Germany in the warm-up in London.
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And ahead of Sunday’s Olympic opener against Serbia in Paris, Kerr put the team through the most brutal training session ever.
“That’s what today is about. It’s the reminder. The time has come. We are here,” he said.
“So it’s 40 minutes of strength, attention and focus.
“We cannot allow teams to surpass us in terms of effort and energy, like we did the other night against Germany, like we did against South Sudan.”
Team USA is the big favorite in Paris, with an incredibly large squad.
But Kerr – a four-time Olympic champion as a player – wanted to emphasize how easy a surprise exit in the qualifiers can be.
“It’s literally six games, and watching the tape, we’re going through some belongings,” Kerr said.
“We’re not going to hit bodies in boxouts. And so it’s time. It’s time to focus on that.”
Serbia could present a tough test on Sunday with Nikola Jokic at center and more NBA-caliber talent at guard.
The US team sent scouts to observe the opponents and will intensify the film work.
“We have another level. I think we have two other levels that we can reach, but it’s always a collaboration,” Kerr explained.
“This way, we can show the strategic aspect on tape. We can show them, ‘Let’s do this, let’s do that. Let’s learn guys.’
“We know the shooters, we know the non-shooters, all that stuff.
“So that’s where we can help them. They can help themselves with just effort and energy, game after game, after game. That’s different.”
USA Basketball Olympic Schedule
Men
July 28, 11:15 a.m. ET – USA vs. Serbia, NBC
July 31, 3pm ET – USA vs. South Sudan, USA Network
August 3, 11:15 a.m. ET – USA vs. Puerto Rico, NBC
Women
July 29, 3pm ET, USA vs Japan, USA Network
August 1, 3 p.m. ET, USA vs. Belgium, USA Network
August 4, 11:15 a.m. ET USA vs. Germany, USA Network
Team USA visits the Olympic Village on Friday ahead of a historic opening ceremony on the River Seine.
“You tend to stay in the moment and realize this is a special moment,” Kevin Durant said.
“It’s really cool to be around all these great players and see them in a different element other than just being competitors.
“As teammates, you always had that competitive fire.”
“This should be one of the great experiences of our lives,” Kerr added.
“But the best way to make this experience amazing is to win a gold medal.”
How to watch the Olympics in the USA
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