While Team USA basks in the glory of their recent gold medal victory at the 2024 Paris Olympics, preparations for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles are already underway. Discussions have surfaced not only about potential roster changes but also about who will take over as head coach for the men’s national team after Steve Kerr steps down. According to reports from Marc Stein, USA Basketball is considering Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra and Los Angeles Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue as the leading candidates to succeed Kerr.
Kerr, who has guided Team USA through the Paris Olympics, previously stated that he intended to pass the baton after 2024, viewing his role as a two-year commitment.
“In my mind, it’s a cycle—a two-year commitment,” Kerr shared via The Athletic. “Coach Popovich handled a World Cup and the Olympics, and now it’s time to pass the baton. That’s the way it should be. It’s a massive commitment. Coach K and Jerry Colangelo established this culture where players had to commit for a couple of years, which made sense for Coach K to stay on longer. But where we are now, it’s best to keep it to one cycle and then move on.”
Both Erik Spoelstra and Lue bring extensive coaching experience to the table. Spoelstra, a two-time NBA champion with the Miami Heat, has appeared in six NBA Finals. He also served as the head coach for the 2021 Select Team that trained with the national squad ahead of the Tokyo Olympics. Meanwhile, Lue led the Cleveland Cavaliers to an NBA Championship in 2016 and has appeared in three NBA Finals. Both coaches have been integral parts of Team USA’s recent campaigns, serving as assistant coaches under Kerr during the Paris Olympics and the 2023 FIBA World Cup, where the team finished in fourth place.
The next head coach will face significant challenges, starting with the 2027 FIBA World Cup. Team USA has struggled in recent World Cups, placing seventh in 2019 and fourth in 2023. One of the main issues has been securing the participation of top NBA stars for the tournament, and the 2027 competition may pose similar challenges. Anthony Edwards has already opted out of competing, and others are likely to follow suit. However, whether it’s Spoelstra or Lue at the helm, the new coach will need to rally the team and aim to improve upon the country’s recent World Cup performances.
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