Admin August 9, 2024
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Good morning! Show some urgency today.
Lore: Four MVPs, one indelible win
There are close games, and then there are games dramatic enough to remember for a long time. Team USAâs win yesterday over Serbia belongs there, and only due to one quarter of play, really.
Letâs zoom out:
- For three quarters, this semifinal matchup looked like the worst loss in American Olympic basketball history. Nothing worked for Team USA, and Bogdan BogdanoviÄ turned into a Monstar. Possibly the most talented roster in American Olympic history was crashing out badly. They were down 17 points at one juncture.
- The fourth quarter is what weâll remember. Four former NBA MVPs â LeBron James, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant and Joel Embiid â all played at their peaks. They played well together, and showcased unbelievable grit down the stretch.
- Curry especially was vintage, scoring 36 points in the game and hitting nine 3-pointers. James added a triple-double. Durant had a huge bucket in crunchtime. Embiid scored 19 points.
A collective goosebumps of sorts spread across social media after the buzzer. To watch James, Curry and Durant â three of the best 15 NBA players of all time â play like this on the same team, representing their country, was just special. Team USA coach Steve Kerr said he was âreally humbled to have been a part of this game.â Same, but from my couch.
Next up, on Saturday for the gold medal: host country France, which eked by Germany in another tight semifinal. The Americans are big favorites, and the focus will be on Embiid, who spurned the French to play for Team USA. Donât let Wemby get hot.
Elsewhere, four Americans who medaled yesterday:
News to Know
Jones says no âurgencyâ for Lamb deal
There is no NFL owner like Jerry Jones, who said yesterday he doesnât have âa sense of urgencyâ to sign star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb â a training camp holdout â to a deal. Jones made similar remarks about running back Ezekiel Elliott in 2019 before signing him to a big contract. âI was at Nobu two days ago. Put that as a reason (for the stalled talks),â Jones said.
More news
Explainers: The Paris Olympicsâ new sport
A sport that gets battle on the official Olympic schedule? Sign us up. Meet breaking, the only new sport at these Games. A little background:
- An urban dance style that incorporates acrobatic movements and stylized footwork, breaking was born from 1970s block parties in the Bronx. (Call it âbreakdancingâ at your own risk of sounding out of touch.)
- Athletes are referred to as b-boys and b-girls, with the âBâ standing for â thatâs right â breaking.
- In the Olympics, the athletes will freestyle, improvising and adapting their motions to the DJâs beat, which they wonât know until the competition begins. Iâm nervous for them, honestly.
The format:Â Sixteen b-boys and b-girls, respectively, will compete in head-to-head battles against each other, starting with a round-robin. Thatâll be followed by quarterfinals, semifinals and the medal round.
Some Americans to watch:Â 30-year-old Victor Montalvo (aka âB-boy Victorâ) is currently the top-ranked American menâs breaker in the world. On the womenâs side, weâre eyeing 35-year-old Sunny Choi, a former EstĂŠe Lauder executive who took gold at the Pan American Games in 2023 after quitting her day job.
David Aldridge wrote a great story earlier this week on the deep history of breaking, which you should read. The battles begin today at 10 a.m. ET.
Feedback Loop: Weâre split on Snoop
As you can see above, many of you canât have enough Snoop Dogg at the Olympics. But slightly more of you think heâs a little too present.Â
Two thoughts:Â
- I tend to agree with the majority, but maybe thatâs just curmudgeonly. I love Snoop Dogg. People love Snoop Dogg. NBC clearly loves Snoop Dogg. We should let people enjoy things, right?
- Reader James F. reached out with a solution I frankly shouldâve thought about initially: Maybe this is the perfect amount of Snoop. No more, no less. A third option mightâve been best.Â
Thanks, as always, for voting.
Olympics HQ
What to watch
All times Eastern
Three days left. On deck today:Â
- Womenâs basketball semifinals: Team USA vs. Australia, 11:30 a.m. on NBC and Peacock
- Breaking, 10 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. on Peacock
- Track and field: menâs and womenâs 4Ă100 relay, 1:30 p.m. on NBC and Peacock
Other medals decided today:Â swimming, taekwondo, table tennis, sport climbing, sailing, canoeing, weightlifting, field hockey, rhythmic gymnastics, water polo, soccer, volleyball, cycling, wrestling, handball, beach volleyball and boxing.
Medal count
- đşđ¸ United States â 103 (30 gold, 38 silver, 35 bronze)
- đ¨đł China â 73 (29 gold, 25 silver, 19 bronze)
- đŤđˇ France â 54 (14 gold, 19 silver, 21 bronze)
Pulse Picks
Two years ago, Tua Tagovailoa looked in the mirror and asked himself: âDo I suck?â His mentality has changed after two brilliant years under coach Mike McDaniel, who reoriented the entire Dolphins offense around his QBâs left-handedness. Make time for Jourdan Rodrigueâs compelling story today.Â
Austin Mock analyzes whether the Cowboys can actually afford to pay Dak Prescott in what Austin deems a âbrokenâ QB economy. Good read.
Can the rest of the world catch up to Team USA in womenâs basketball? Our experts arenât sure.Â
I missed Dana OâNeilâs story from the Olympic skateboarding competition, which just sounded like a downright good time.Â
Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday: Our story on Quincy Hallâs impressive comeback win in the 400 meters yesterday ⌠and his beef with Noah Lyles. Spicy.Â
Most-read on the website yesterday: Did the NCAA really punish Jim Harbaugh over a cheeseburger?
Top podcast in The Athletic network: Scoop City had on DeMeco Ryans, arguably the most feted coach in the NFL right now, to talk about the Texansâ aggressive goals.Â
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(Top photo: Gregory Shamus / Getty Images)
