Steve Kerr was prepared to take the blame if LeBron James didn’t save the US national team from a narrow defeat to South Sudan.
Although the U.S. team won 101-100 in a friendly in London, the men’s national team head coach believes his players could have been better prepared.
“Our team didn’t prepare well,” Kerr said after the game. Tim Reynolds “It’s my fault for not focusing enough on their capabilities, which I think allowed South Sudan to gain confidence early on,” the AP reporter said.
“They were great, they played a great game and it was a good end for us. We felt it and we got a sense of what it’s going to be like in Paris and Lille.”
During the match, the U.S. team was trailing Sudan by as many as 16 points.
LeBron James scored with eight seconds left and overcame a one-point deficit in the final 20 seconds to lead Team USA with 25 points.
South Sudan made some surprisingly close attempts to regain the lead and were in multiple close calls with time running out.
The U.S. team went 4-0 in friendlies leading up to the Paris Olympics, and Saturday night was the closest the team came to a friendly loss.
The team will face Germany on Monday before moving on to Group C for the Olympics, which begins on July 28.
The U.S. team is scheduled to face South Sudan again on July 31, and Kerr hopes his team will be better prepared when they do.
