The United States men’s basketball team won its second straight Olympic gold medal match over Spain, capping a dominant run at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Sunday’s game was the tightest Team USA played over the last two weeks. Leading by just one point heading into the fourth quarter, the American squad chock full of NBA stars gradually pulled away for a 107-100 win.
LeBron James On Basketball Gold Medal: ‘We Didn’t Want It Easy’
LeBron James commented on the difficult matchup, saying it was exactly how he and his teammates wanted it.
“We knew it wasn’t going to be easy. We didn’t want it easy,” James said. “A lot of teams have won gold easy. We didn’t want it that way. We’re a competitive team and we love when it gets tight. That’s when our will and determination kind of shows. It was the same way in ‘08.”
James went on to call the squad one of the best ever. While there has been plenty of debate over that claim in the past few weeks, there's no denying that Team USA has reasserted its dominance over international competition. Kobe Bryant and head coach Mike Krzyzewski did as much to help the United States recover from its disappointing bronze in 2004. Both will go out winners having participated in their final Olympics. After the game, Coach K was asked if he was sure of his decision to leave the international circuit:
“I am - but I think I can get a great meal out of this.”
For more on the Olympics, check out SB Nation’s London 2012 Olympics hub.
See More:
