USA Basketball Men's National Team vs. Nigeria Game Preview: Can Team USA Defeat 2015 FIBA Africa Zone Champs? Predictions, Roster and Tickets
As part of the 2016 USA Basketball Showcase, the US Basketball Men's National Team will face the 2015 FIBA Africa zone champion Nigeria on Aug. 1 at the Toyota Center in Houston. The Monday match will be the fifth and final installment of Team USA's series of exhibition games before heading to the Rio 2016 Olympics to defend their gold medal.
The Road to Rio 2016
Jerry Colangelo, USA basketball chairman and national team managing director, stated in a news release that the incoming match will equip and condition the national team before flying to Brazil to defend their Olympic title. He added that at the same time, the exhibition will give fans an opportunity to watch the national pride.
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Despite the absence of NBA superstars like LeBron James and Stephen Curry in the present roster of the US Basketball Men's National Team, sports enthusiasts are predicting that the national team will beat the 2015 FIBA Africa zone champion. As of press time, Team USA is 3-0 on its five-game series, beating Argentina and China with an average of 45.3 points.
According to Team USA coach Mike Krzyzewski, despite the lack of competition, USA finds value in the series of exhibition games. "Our talent level is superior but the fact that they play so hard against you, it makes you have a really good night," Krzyzewski told NBA.com.
How to Watch the Exhibition Game
The basketball match between the US Basketball Men's National Team and Nigeria will start at 7 p.m. NBA TV will be providing the live TV coverage of the event. It can also be watched online through the USA Basketball Facebook feed.
Tickets are available at some selected ticketing outlets. Ticket prices range from $40 to $1,600.
Team USA Roster
The US Basketball Men's National Team roster is led by the New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony. Team members include Harrison Barnes (Dallas Mavericks), Jimmy Butler (Chicago Bulls), DeMarcus Cousins (Sacramento Kings), DeMar DeRozan (Toronto Raptors), Kevin Durant (Golden State Warriors), Paul George (Indiana Pacers), Draymond Green (Golden State Warriors), Kyrie Irving (Cleveland Cavaliers), DeAndre Jordan (Los Angeles Clippers), Kyle Lowry (Toronto Raptors) and Klay Thompson (Golden State Warriors).
According to NBA.com, the previous US Basketball Men's National Teams had collected a medal in all the past 17 Olympics, including 14 gold medals and one silver and two bronze medals. Since NBA players started representing the country in 1992, Team USA has won five gold medals and one bronze.
