As a nation that comes into every Olympics thinking it’s more of a coronation than competition, we need to feel the tension, the stakes and the possession-by-possession intensity that is only possible when you respect what it takes to win and have a healthy fear that a loss could be around the corner.
We need to understand that what we saw at Bercy Arena on Thursday in an epic semifinal against Serbia is the new normal. We need to admit that, little by little, the world is coming for Team USA.
