First lady Michelle Obama is U.S.’s No. 1 fan during the Olympics and it certainly showed when she spotted Sunday cheering for the men’s Dream Team.
The guys took it home with a 98-71 defeat against France in the preliminary rounds of the games.
It was a victory worth celebrating for Mrs. Obama. She congratulated each of the players and took time to embrace them all as well as the coaches.
“It was a very special moment,” Carmelo Anthony says. “For her to be sitting over there and supporting us, we just wanted to thank her for coming.”
San Antonio Spurs’ Tony Parker, playing with goggles (for France) to protect a surgically repaired left eye, scored 10 points but France, which trailed by just one point after the first quarter, fell to 0-5 in Olympic competition against the USA. Ali Traore led the French with 12 points.
With the U.S. leading 52-36 at halftime, Durant opened the second half with a 3-pointer, Bryant dropped one from long range and after James dunked an alley-oop pass from Deron Williams, the Americans led 64-43.
The U.S. team’s lead ballooned to 78-51 after three quarters, allowing coach Mike Krzyzewski to rest Bryant, James and Durant for most of the fourth quarter. With the game well in hand, Krzyzewski even gave 19-year-old Anthony Davis, the top pick in June’s NBA draft, his first taste of Olympic play.
The U.S. will next play Tuesday against Tunisia, which lost to Nigeria 60-56 in the tournament opener.
via EURWeb
