Friday 03 / January / 2025
The United States men’s basketball team lost its first game of Tokyo 2020, losing 83-76 to France.
The US, normally packed with NBA stars, have won gold in men's basketball at the last three Olympics, having not lost a game since their disappointing showing at the 2004 Athens Games. But this iteration, which boasts the likes of Kevin Durant, Damian Lillard and NBA champion Jrue Holiday, let an eight-point halftime lead slip to France.
Durant, an 11-time NBA All-Star, was held to just 10 points by a French defence that featured NBA veterans Rudy Gobert and Evan Fournier.
The US defeat comes off the back of losses to Nigeria and Australia in the buildup to the Olympic Games. The Americans now need to beat the Czech Republic and Iran to reach the quarterfinals of them men's tournament.
