On August 19, Beijing time, according to Stein, Kerr will no longer coach the United States men's basketball team, and the United States men's basketball team is also preparing to choose a new coach, and the candidates are expected to be selected between Spoelstra and Tyronn Lue.
At the previous Paris Olympics, Cole led the United States men's basketball team to five consecutive Olympic titles. In fact, as early as last November, Cole said in an interview that he did not plan to continue coaching the national team after the Paris Olympics, because he believed it was a two-year commitment.
"For me, it's a two-year cycle," Kerr told The Athletic at the time, "and Popovich has coached the World Cup and the Olympics, and now it's my turn to pass the baton." I think that's how it should be. Frankly, it's also an important commitment. โ
In this Olympic journey, Spo and Lue are both Cole's assistant coaches in the national team. Spo also served as the head coach of the 2021 selection team. Both candidates have extensive coaching experience and championship winning experience in the NBA.
Spo won two championships and reached the Finals six times during his tenure with the Heat, while Lue reached the Finals three times and won one championship during his time with the Cavaliers. Both coaches have a good reputation in the NBA and are highly respected.
Whoever is appointed as the next head coach will have to consider the 2027 FIBA World Cup, with United States having struggled in the last two World Cup competitions, finishing fourth in 2023 and surprisingly seventh in 2019. Getting big-name players to the World Cup has been a problem for the United States, which is part of the reason the United States struggle in the tournament, and 2027 is not expected to be any different.
Previously, Edwards had ruled out the possibility of participating in the 2027 World Cup. Whoever is on the roster will depend on how Spo or Lue make the most of their players and work to improve the flaws of previous World Cups.