Steph Curry compares the Olympic game with the NBA: ‘It’s like playoff basketball’

While Team USA has only enjoyed their star-packed roster for a month and is still adjusting to international play, they have won every single game they’ve faced including their Olympics opener against Serbia on Sunday. Even though some of the players in the squad are new to the FIBA rules, they see some similarities with the NBA competition. 

One of them is Stephen Curry, who is currently playing his first-ever Olympic Games, and mentioned the challenges his team is facing. According to the Warriors icon, the tournament is a lot like being in the NBA’s postseason.

“It’s like playoff basketball. Different dimensions on the court, shorter time frame, 48 to 40 minutes, physical brand of basketball,” the veteran noted. “But the biggest adjustment for us is to put all our different skill sets together on the fly. Like if this team had a full year of training and chemistry and all that, we wouldn’t be talking about the adjustment that much.”

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LOOK: NBA superstar Stephen Curry makes his Olympic debut at Team USA’s match with Serbia, which the former dominated with a 110-84 win. #Olympics #INQOlympics | 📷: USA Basketball/Instagram

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On the other hand, Steve Kerr is in his second-consecutive summer coaching Team USA for international competitions and explained the difficulties of leading a team with so many stars. “That’s the job, right? We’ve got 12 All-Stars if not All-Stars, world-class players and champions,” he expressed.

“I think for the guys on Team USA, there’s a certain amount of relief that comes with not having to bear the full responsibility of the franchise,” Kerr added. “You know, these guys get to lean on each other, every game is different, they get to throw all the other nonsense out the window. Because none of it matters. The only thing that matters is winning a gold medal. So there’s a beauty to it, a purity to it, and I think our guys are really embracing that.”

The Americans beat Serbia 110-84 on Sunday and are now preparing for their second match of Group C against South Sudan this Wednesday. This is the same Afican nation that faced LeBron James and company 10 days ago and almost tied the game but lost 101-100.

“And then it’s our job as a staff to make sure we’re keeping everybody engaged and ready. Because, again, we’re going to need all 12 guys. It’s just the way this tournament and FIBA tournaments work. You need everybody,” the Team USA coach anticipated what challenges will come in order to win gold.

Joel Embiid is also enjoying this new Olympic experience and explained the importance of finding your input to the team’s winning formula

Another who is playing his first games in the Olympic stage is Joel Embiid, who has a different view than his teammate Curry. According to the Sixers center, there is a lot of adjusting still to be done, but he is enjoying every minute of the experience.

“This is a different setting. This is a great setting for me because I’m playing with a lot of great players,” said Embiid. “It’s all about finding ways to bring whatever I can and, obviously, make sure that we win. That’s all there is. In the NBA, I’m used to being the guy. Now, you gotta give it up, so I’m loving it.”

Another positive he recognized out of this experience, was the fact that he is using all this training to prepare for the NBA’s upcoming campaign. According to the big man, working around so many superstars in the Team USA roster is good practice for when he returns to Philadelphia to create a strong squad alongside Paul George and company.

“Especially going into next year, having Tyrese [Maxey], PG [Paul George]. Especially Tyrese, I really want him to take the next step. I got to do as much as I can and then just be there, support, do what I have to do and still dominate. But I really want to make sure I empower my teammates, so this is a great experience for me,” Joel expressed.