Joseph
3. Basketball
Maybe you heard about these guys?
Men Basketball Championship is a foregone conclusion, right? The American Dream Team, which includes NBA giants LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard and Kevin Durant, will dominate to win the gold medal. Not so fast. As basketball becomes more international, Spain, Serbia, France and Australia all pose teams that pose at least a threat to America’s supremacy on the court.
Many have forgotten that Team USA of 2004 – the team with which both 15-time NBA champion King James and Tim Duncan played – were only able to take the bronze. (Gone went to Argentina!) Two years ago, at the FIBA Basketball World Cup, the Americans were pushed out by France in the quarter-finals.
In Tokyo, more than 25 percent of all competitors will be NBA players, guys like Rudy Gobert, a 7’1 player from France who plays for the Utah Jazz and is considered the best defender in the world, as well as Spain’s Gasol. The siblings, who played on teams that won NBA titles, could send Team USA home early. Then, again, it’s not like the Dream Team is an underdog.
Welcome to Cool Kid Games in Tokyo Olympics
The latest Olympic sports lap with a certain X Games factor.
1. Skiing
Place: Ariake Urban Sports Park
Learn about this: Five Olympics since its cold-weather cousin, SnowboardingFor the first time, a skateboard falls with proper posture. Expect battles between the United States, Brazil, and Japan in both events: “Street” focuses on the use of stairs, handrails, sidewalks, and other free-style materials, while “Park” sinks into deep bowls. Nyjah Huston from the USA is the male street skater to beat, and the cameras will love the charming Brazilian villain Leticia Buffoni.
