LAS VEGAS (AP) Gregg Popovich walked into USA Basketballs first team meeting in advance of World Cup training camp, and it seemed to some in the room that he was having a little difficulty keeping his emotions in check.
He talked about tradition, about what it means to play for your country, about expectations, about sacrifice, about playing the right way, about respect for opponents.
The only downside was that when he was done speaking, the first practice was still about 18 hours away.
Shoot, from the get-go, I think everybody was ready to play a game or run through a brick wall for him after that talk, Brooklyn guard Joe Harris said.
With that, Camp Pop had arrived.
Popovichs first training camp practice as coach of the U.S. mens national team went into the books Monday, less than a month before the Americans will begin play at the FIBA World Cup in China. The U.S. has won the last two World Cup gold medals, both won under now-former coach Mike Krzyzewski, and now its Popovichs turn to lead the red, white and blue.
Its been on my mind every day, what I want to do and what needs to be done, said Popovich, the longtime San Antonio Spurs coach who was picked as Krzyzewskis successor nearly four years ago. Its been like thinking about two teams at the same time for that period. But Coach K did that for 12 years. So I think I can probably try to do the same.
Popovich was all over the floor in his first practice, pulling some guys aside for 1-on-1 chats during a scrimmage and other times gathering the entire team around him to discuss the nuance of proper box-out technique.
You cant help but teach here and there, Popovich said.
Popovich calls it a huge responsibility to both represent the country and continue the programs long tradition of winning. He and his assistants have been meeting for weeks, going over every possible detail.
He is so passionate about this project and hes so well-prepared, Golden State coach and USA Basketball assistant Steve Kerr said.
There is also some pressure, of course.
When the Americans start World Cup play in Shanghai on Sept. 1 against the Czech Republic, itll be exactly 13 years since the national team program lost a game at the world championships, now known as the World Cup, or in Olympic competition.
On Sept. 1, 2006, the U.S. lost to Greece in the world championships semifinals. Since then, the Americans are 76-0 a run that started with the bronze medal game in the 2006 worlds followed by gold-medal runs in the 2007 FIBA Americas tournament, the 2008 Olympics, the 2010 world championships, the 2012 Olympics, the 2014 World Cup and finally the 2016 Olympics.
USA Basketball has lost at times since 2006, including twice during the 12-game World Cup qualifying run.
But none of the defeats came against the full-fledged U.S. varsity, the level that Popovich is now overseeing.
