Additional Quotes >> USA 119, Spain 82

Aug. 16, 2008 - Beijing, China

USA head coach Mike Krzyzewski (Duke University)
On the game:
We're really pleased with our effort.  It's an honor to play against a great team.  And, Spain has a great team.  I thought they missed some open shots tonight.  We made our open shots; that was a big factor in the game.

We know it's a pool game.   We know the importance of winning pool games, but the most important games are next week.  We have the utmost respect for Spain.  They play great basketball.  They weren't shooting very well tonight.

What numbers stand out to you on the stat sheet?
I like defense so forcing the number of turnovers we did I thought was the most satisfying thing for me.  Really we had eight guys in double figures, but I thought Chris Bosh's performance was outstanding; he scored two points, but he had seven defensive rebounds and he anchored our defense.
His defense led to us having confidence and playing passing lanes a little bit more.

Would you like to have had a little more competition in pool play?
We feel we have had good competition.  The last two ballgames … Spain and Greece are two of the top teams in the world.  I think our guys have played well in both games.  To play against that level of talent and team chemistry that both of those teams have.  I think that helps prepare you for the medal round."

What's it been like to play in China and see firsthand out the Chinese have embraced the game of basketball?
We actually saw it two years ago when we toured before going to the World Championships.  That was my first time in China.  You could see the passion in the eyes of the fans and the kids playing the game, because we did a lot of things out in the communities that we were in.  Since then, I kind of watched China and their enthusiasm for the game.  We've loved being here. We've been treated with the utmost respect, friendliness.  Everything has been so organized, clean.  To see them have that passion for basketball is very gratifying.

On how well Dwyane Wade has played in this tournament:
There is no question.  He's a unique player.  There is really nobody exactly like them.  That's one of the reasons he is one of the top players in the game.  I'm really happy for him.  In the middle of May, we still were not sure.  We said, ‘you're on the team' whatever but we just weren't sure where he would be.  He's worked so hard to get to this level for his country, for his teammates, and I'm very proud of him.

Carmelo Anthony (Denver Nuggets)
The mind set on this team is defense, are you really committed to that?
We're enjoying it, we are enjoying playing defense. We know that we have the best scorers in the world on our team. We can put the ball in the basket at will. But if we don't stop nobody, we ain't going to beat nobody. Everybody is having fun and enjoying playing defense and shutting teams down.

The USA's bench is playing just as good as your starting five, comment on your team's depth:
We don't have a starting five. I wouldn't call us a starting five. We have five who go out there and begin the game. We've got CP coming off the bench, Deron Williams, Dwyane Wade coming off the bench. We've got a lot of players coming off the bench so I wouldn't call us a starting … we're just the five that begin the game.

Were you trying to make a statement?
Every game we play we try to make a statement. Just to let the world know that this time around, we're here to play. We've got the guys on the team , we've got the players and there's no excuses for us.

On the game:
First of all, I think, as a team, I was really proud of the way we came into this game focused from the beginning to the end, especially on the defensive end.  Getting after them, putting some pressure on the ball, guys knocking down shots.  I think we shot the ball pretty well tonight, better than the previous two games we played.  When we got out there, we got a lot better today.

How does it feel to beat a world champion?
It's just another game in pool play that we had to go out there and get, and I think we went out there and did a good job of doing that.  It's another team we had to go out there and beat.  I think this team is in the way of our gold medal we are trying to achieve.  I think we came out and did a good job from the beginning to the end on both sides of the court.

What did you do to get locked in on offense?
My preparation was the same.  It's the same shots I was taking in the last couple games.  They just went in tonight.  That comes from putting in extra work in practice, before practice, getting in a little better shape.  And, it paid off tonight.  I'm going to continue doing that until the tournament is over.

Does this show how scary this team can be if it makes 3-pointers?
I think tonight we didn't just make our 3-pointers, we got some points on the inside.  I think the fast break points was 32-0; that's the first time I've seen that happen in a game before.  Like I said, I think we got after them defensively tonight, from the point guard to the big men.  There was a lot of communication out there and we were on the same page.  When we get everybody on the same page, it's kinda hard to beat us.

How did it feel for you to personally break out tonight?
It felt pretty good to make some shots.  I'll take them shots anytime.  The same shots that I was making tonight, I'll continue to take those shots in any other game.  I know I can make them shots.   I was asked the other day where has my offense went and it hasn't gone anywhere.  I still have that.

I've just been rebounding and playing defense.  We have guys like Dwyane Wade who's coming out the gate playing really, really well.  Kobe and LeBron … we have a lot of scorers on the team who can put the ball in the basket.  So, I just try to do the little things " rebound and play defense " and try to be that anchor that this teams needs.

Carlos Boozer (Utah Jazz)
On Dwyane Wade's play:
Me and him are very close. We're having a ball. He's great, he's healthy, he's playing with a renewed sense of passion. He had a tough year last year, obviously, with the team. And to be here with us has rejuvenated him a little bit to get back out there and do what he does. He's Flash. He's back. He's like a super hero. He really is. We've got him, we've got Superman, we've got King James, we have a comic book here.

On the late games and whether that's a sacrifice they've had to make in terms of their body clocks:
No, we realize that we made a sacrifice to come out here, and part of it is our bodies need to sleep. For us, this is all part of the journey to get the gold medal. We don't think about it in a negative connotation, we think about it as this is what we signed up for. Let's go do whatever it takes to get it. If it takes leaving the arena at 1:00 in the morning to get the gold medal, we'll (do it to) get the gold medal.

On the bench play:
From one through 12 we're all all-stars, we're all studs and we come into the game with the same mentality. The same confidence that we play with back with our teams. We come and try to give them a lift. Our starting five … you can put that starting five anywhere in the world and they're going to win. But you bring our backup five in, you put that backup five anywhere in the world and we're going to win too. It's just one of those situations where we're just deep. Even in some cases our bench has been able to give our starters a lift because our starters have to be out there to start the games and teams give them their best shot. Then we come and give them a lift, they come back in and blow it wide open for us in the third quarter. We try to do a good job of making it a team effort.

Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers)
Is the first half the best half this team has played so far?
It's one of them. We did a pretty good job in the exhibition games, but as far as this tournament goes this is the best that we played.

On the USA's seven first-half 3-pointers:
We started to get our rhythm. I think that's the difference really. We are starting to get our rhythm, and where the shots are coming from, we are starting to knock them down.

Do you think you made other teams fear you with tonight's performance?
Maybe a little bit because everybody knows what a great team Spain is. I think we sent a pretty strong message tonight.

What have you learned from this experience?
Wow. I've really just been enjoying it. I have been at every event I possibly can go to. I'm just soaking it all in. It's just the joy of sports, and it's just all amazing what sports can do.

Was this game more physical than previous games?
We wanted to make it a physical game. We felt that the game that we played last, which was against Greece, that was physical as well, but we are a pretty strong team. We're used to playing physical.

Is this a trip of redemption?
Absolutely. That is 100 percent accurate. We feel like we are best suited to win the gold medal, and we are going to go for it. Our last couple outings in the Olympics and world competition hasn't been as stellar, and we are trying to redeem ourselves.

Was it strange playing against Pau Gasol? Do you guys talk at all?
We talk quite a bit actually. We've talked about three times prior to today, and it was a little weird because we are playing for high stakes going against each other. It's a little different than going against each other in practice.

Does it hurt the Lakers if you expose him defensively?
They'll figure it out. He's a great player. To be honest with you, he really doesn't have any weaknesses. That is something that we talked about to prepare for them. He can go left, he can go right, he can shoot. He's good.

Did you expect more from Spain?
We were expecting worse. We were expecting them to come out and hit everything, be able to execute their strategy and keep us off balance. We wanted to take it to them and be physical with them.

You were pretty dominant on fast break points:
We were able to read the floor pretty well and get our hands on balls, get steals and be aggressive. When we do that, we are at our best.

Where can this team get better?
We just continue to do what we do best, which is run, execute our zone offense, which is something that we did very well tonight. And it's something that we are going to need to improve on in the quarterfinals and later rounds.

What was the difference in the USA's half court offense tonight?
We are just getting better. That's our philosophy, just get better. The more we play against zone, the more we work it in practice the better we get.

Was a win against the reigning world champion a statement?
Absolutely. It was something for us personally to see where we measure up with the champion. This was a big game for us.

Dwight Howard (Orlando Magic)
What do you think can stop you from getting the gold medal?
Ourselves. That's the only obstacle I think we have. We have to stay humble and if we play the way we've been playing, so hard, we should win.

What do you think the other teams are thinking when they see LeBron James coming full-speed on the fast break?
Get out of the way or foul him before he jumps. If I saw him coming full speed I'd get out of the way or foul him before he jumps.

On LeBron James' consistent play:
This is what he's been dreaming of, to get the chance to play in the Olympics, go out there and lead a team and he's doing a great job of that. He's been very consistent every night on the defensive end and on the offensive end. I really appreciate the way he leads the team. He makes everybody around him better.

On Germany, the USA's next opponent:
We're trying to get ready for, we're trying to win a gold medal. Each game is very important to us. No matter who we play. We're not going to go out and overlook Germany. We're going to go out and play the way we've been playing the last four games.

Does it change the face of the game for you with such a deep team where everybody can score?
A little bit. It is a little adjustment because I'm used to the ball coming inside. Everybody on the team can shoot. The main thing here is just being active, making sure I crash the boards, try to play real good defense.

LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers)
What does this game say about your team? You played a pretty good team in Spain.
We played an excellent team. It shows how far we have come. Defensively we were in tune, and when we get defensive stops it allows us to get out and run, which we do best. We did a great job tonight and we just have to continue having the same effort every night we step on the court.

Is there any FIBA rule that you guys haven't figured out now, like knocking the ball off the rim? It seems like you guys are just so comfortable now.
Yeah, we feel comfortable with international ball. We have a core group of guys who have been through it and the guys who have joined the team the last two summers have adjusted. It's looking pretty good so far, but we're not satisfied. We continue to play well, but we can get better. We can't dwell on this game, we played well but we have to get ready for Germany next.

Spain is the defending world champions and they are a team that thinks they can beat the U.S., What was the message you sent to them tonight?
We sent a big message. Every time we go on the court, we're trying to send a message to the whole field, no matter who we are playing. We have to continue to get better. We have a lot of room for improvement, but tonight was a great effort by everybody, all 12 guys. We played great basketball.

Where can you improve?
We had some unforced turnovers, we got careless at times. We went to the offensive end and shot some contested shots. When we have guys who can help each other and penetrate, we don't need to have shots contested.

Question unintelligible:
Yeah, it helps. Anytime you can get a chemistry and get to know your likes and your dislikes it helps. I think that where we are off the court helps us on the court, the way we get along. All 12 of us get along. It helps us a lot.

Were you fearful that Jason might try to dunk on that one basket?
No, I thought he was going to give it back it to me. J never shoots the ball and we kid him about shooting the ball. He never shoots the ball. I couldn't believe it that he layed the ball up. I thought he was going to throw it off the backboard to me. Fearful? Yes I was, because I'm not used to seeing him shoot!

How much have you evolved since 2004?
I'm just a different basketball player mentally. Of course my game's evolved but mentally I'm a much better basketball player than I was in 2004. I was really young, I hadn't experienced the playoffs in the NBA, I hadn't experienced big games.

You seem angrier almost than the rest of the guys.
Oh no, I'm not angry. It's just emotions. I want it. That's something I waited for for four years. Not getting a great opportunity in Athens, so it's emotion. I'm not angry. I love basketball. I smile too, you just didn't catch it.

Jason Kidd (Dallas Mavericks)
On his first points of the tournament:
My man (LeBron James) gave me the ball and I had to take the layup, even though I didn't want to. Shoot. But then I started thinking that he wanted a triple-double and I didn't want to be the one that could of gotten him the assist and I didn't want that.

The team's 3-point shooting was on today. If you guys are doing that, what else is there?
There's always room for improvement. We shot the ball better from the free throw line and from the three. But we lay our hat on the defensive end. If we don't play our defense, that doesn't give us a chance to get out and run and be able to knock down those shots. Spain's a very good team and we know we'll probably see them again.

Are you surprised to play a team of that stature, then look at the scoreboard and realize you're winning by 30 points?
No, I don't think we were playing the score. That's one thing about this team that I like. Whoever is out on the floor, we're playing to get better and we don't look at the score until the end. I think that was maybe our best game. I asked somebody what's the most we've scored as a team and that was it tonight.

You've beaten the defending FIBA World Champions, was this something more than just a game?
For us it's just a basketball game. We're not looking at the past, we're into 2008. When you look at a lot of guys who were on that team, they were 19-, 20-years-old. They used that experience to get better and LeBron, Melo and those guys have matured. You can see that on the court and off the court. It makes us a very special team.

This team is a special team. The one time I kind of got upset is when we turned the ball over three times when we did get the shot. For us to get to the next level of being a very good team is when we get a shot---make or miss--you can't turn the ball over 3 times.

When you focus on things that might seem small, do you think you are almost chasing perfection?
We're not chasing perfection but the small things are what wins ball games, and we got away from that after 2000, not being able to do the little things. When you look at the rest of the world, that's what they do well--the little things, Pass the ball, set screens, make the extra pass and we got away from that. We thought our athletic ability was going to win ball games and that wasn't the case and now that you see us doing the little things, making the extra pass, playing defense it makes the game so much easier.

It seems like the bench is really playing well now. Can you talk about how important that is?
I don't know who to start with. (laughter). Go with both Chris's, throw in Dwyane Wade, I mean it's unbelievable. These three are all 1's in the sense of playing well. Chris Bosh the other night played off the charts. Chris Paul has been playing great the whole tournament. Dwyane's been playing off the charts, too. His athletic ability, his speed--he looks like a rookie out there with his speed.

Kobe gets in foul trouble early, Carmelo gets in foul trouble and it doesn't even make a difference because you don't let up:
We didn't flinch, we didn't even blink, we kept going. We believe in one another and that's why guys can go out there and play hard for five minutes and if they do pick up quick fouls, the guys can come off the bench and do the same things as the guys who were out there.

On Spain's 17-year-old Ricky Rubio:
He's going to be good. He's getting a lot of attention and he's handled it quite well so far. I think tonight you can see that he's got some talent. He's only 17-years-old, the sky's the limit for him.

Did you expect more from Spain?
This is only a prelim so for them, they're going to get better. They can look at this game and see what their mistakes were. We're looking to see them somewhere in the semifinals or finals. But right now we can't be concerned about them, we have to be concerned about ourselves and our next opponent and that's Germany.

Chris Paul (New Orleans Hornets)
On Spain's Ricky Rubio:
He's pretty good. We tried to pressure him, tried to make him turn the ball over.

On the USA's bench play:
When we come off the bench we really try to come in with a lot of intensity, especially on the defensive end. The starters get it going, they get our team going. Then when we come in we want to be that second wave to where if the other team has their starters, we're bringing in fresh legs and picking them up full court.

Can you sense that people get demoralized by your defense?
Hopefully. That's the point of it. For 40 minutes we wanted to be non-stop movement and chaos. That's what we try to do. We wreck havoc. Every time down we're all over the point guards. Our big men are up, we're not relaxing.

On pulling away from Spain:
We set screens and we shared the ball really well. Coach K says USA shots. We didn't take shots that we would take on our respective teams. We take the best shots every time down, that was the best shot for the USA.

On Carmelo Anthony's deadly 3-point shooting:
That 3-point line is a little closer than the NBA 3-point line. That's a layup for Melo if he's open.

Your lineup with you ,Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade is really clicking:
We talk about it before we come in the game. When we come into the game we try to come in with a different intensity. We try to pick up full court. Make or miss we push the ball up the court. We just try to change the tempo.

Was this game against Spain circled on your calendar?
Every game is circled. Every game for us is a challenge because we have to continue to get better. The China game was circled, Angola, Greece, now Spain. The Germany game is our next circled game. Every game we want to improve.

What do you think teams are thinking when they see LeBron coming down the lane, whether it be a fast break or even in half court.
Probably to foul or get out of the way. The same think we think in the NBA. That amount of speed, that amount of athletic ability and that much power, there's not too much you can do.

It seems like he's been the one showing the most emotion, has he taken on that role?
Somewhat, yeah. We know when he's aggressive it puts the rest of us in an aggressive mode. He's the one starting out who really gets us going. When he picks it up everyone usually follows.

When he starts off hitting threes….
It's kind of appropriate, it's contagious, he plays with a lot of confidence and when he's making shots it puts a lot confidence in others.

What kind of statement did the team make tonight?
We try to make a statement with every game, winning is not enough. If there's any chance of making statements and proving points we're trying to do that. That's what this whole thing is about is to show the rest of the world that we really mean business.

You've got a game Monday that really doesn't mean much:
To get up for it, get up for it. We only get eight games while we're over here, that's the way we look at it. Right now we've won four, (with) four (more) we get eight, so I'm trying to enjoy each game as much as possible, so we've got to approach Germany just like it's the game to get us in the medal round, it's our last one before the medal round.

Did you need these last two games against teams that were considered challengers,
We definitely needed those kind of games because when we get in the medal rounds that's how it's going to be, it's going to be a tough game, a day in between, then another tough game, and then the championship game. We needed this to get our confidence going but we understand that it's going to take a lot more than that.

What are the key things that make you guys play so well.
It's our defensive intensity and I think the amount of emotion that we play with. We're not just out here playing, I think a lot of us feel like we've got a lot invested in this thing with the three year commitment, we won't accept losing. We understand that if we lay it all on the line every time we step out there we're tough to beat.

Is it different being on this team and being up 20 then it would be on any other team?
Yeah, because on this team right here if were up 20 and coach pulls the starters, you're coming in with five more starters, you're coming in with five great players. That's our biggest thing right now is to not let up, not let up no matter what the score is, keep the pressure on and keep pushing the tempo.

When team gets up 25 it's just hard to play well, what's the difference here?
That's a real good question. The thing here is, the team that we're playing on, the commitment that we've made to the defensive end. Not too many NBA teams commit like we've committed to the defensive end. When someone gets beat on the defensive end we feel like we let everyone down.

Dwyane Wade (Miami Heat)
On tonight's game:
We came out very focused knowing that Spain is a very good team. We knew we had to concentrate on the defensive end and we came out and really did what we've been doing and that's pressuring them, not letting them run their offense, making them make quick decisions. Some teams are not at their best when they're not in their comfort zone. That was our job, to take them out of the comfort zone.

On the USA's 3-point shooting against Spain:
All-around we felt good. Guys are getting into a rhythm and like I've been saying, we're going to play our best basketball toward the end of the whole thing and that's going to be a good thing. I think we're kind of reaching our stride. As long as guys coming off the bench continue to keep playing the way they're playing and we keep bringing guys out in waves, we're going to be really good.

Who has impressed you the most on your team?
We have so many guys, but one for me is Chris Bosh. I think he's been unbelievable, coming in defensively and really talking. Really being a versatile big man that can stick through their switching, can switch their guards as well. He's rebounding, he's playing tough so I'm going to say Chris Bosh.

Deron Williams (Utah Jazz)
On LeBron James:
He's been great.  He's definitely the vocal leader of our team, the guy that brings energy every day.  Not just out here.  You don't see the stuff behind the scenes.  He's a great teammate, a great guy to have in the locker room and keeps us focused.

Keys to the game:
Defensive pressure.  I think our defense is always key for us.  Defense is always our bread and butter always where we like to start our basis from because if we're playing good D, we're going to get out in transition, we're going to run because we're creating turnovers and forcing miscues.
So, just got to be proud of how our defense stepped up and shut those guys down.

Looking at the last two games:
Two great games for us.  I think we got better and better every game we play.  And it showed tonight.  This is our first game where we put it together both offensively and defensively.  We hit shots from the outside, we got out in transition.  We played defense well.  So, this is our best all around game so far.