USA Basketball: Team USA Wins Gold Medal at FIBA World Championships In Turkey

Congratulations to Kevin Durant and Team USA for winning the Gold Medal at the FIBA World Championships!  Durant, the tournament’s most valuable player, scored 28 points to lead the United States to an 81-64 victory and its first world championship since 1994.  Durant had 99 points in the final 3 games.

Without LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Kobe Bryant or any other members of the Olympic team that won gold in Beijing two years ago, the U.S. finished with a 9-0 record behind Durant and a roster that included five other players who were 22 or younger.  It’s the first world championship title for U.S. coach Mike Krzyzewski, who won bronze medals the previous two times. Team USA failed to reach the championship game at the tournament in 1998, 2002 and 2006.

The team had a definite LA flavor, as LA Lakers forward Lamar Odom was the starting center.  UCLA alumns Russell Westbrook and Kevin Love were also big contributors to Team USA.