Gregg Popovich and the U.S. men's basketball team overcame early struggles to win Olympic gold.- In an emotional postgame speech, Popovich called it the best feeling he's had in basketball.
- Popovich then had a message for the doubters, saying, "How the f--- do you like us now?"
After winning the Olympic gold medal, Gregg Popovich had a profane message for critics in an emotional postgame speech.
In a video captured by center JaVale McGee, Popovich, fighting tears, told the players that winning a gold medal was "the best feeling I've ever had in basketball."
"I'm so proud to be part of this," Popovich said.
Popovich noted the doubts the team faced about the roster and its coaching. The U.S. men's team had a typically stacked roster, albeit one still missing top names like LeBron James, Stephen Curry, James Harden, and others who decided to sit out of the Olympics.The squad lost its first two exhibition games and its first game in the group stage at the Olympics, fueling doubts about whether the roster was good enough in an increasingly competitive international field. It also drew scrutiny to Popovich, an assistant on the 2004 Olympic squad that won bronze and the head coach of the 2019 World Cup team that didn't medal at all.
"In the beginning, people were talking about, 'Why is he on the team? He should've taken him. What happened to him? Why is he there?' - all of the pundits, all of these people who think they know something," Popovich said.
However, in Tokyo, the men's team responded fairly convincingly, making it to the gold-medal game, where they beat France, 87-82.
Popovich had one last message to the team in the locker room: "I would just like to say to all those people out there: How the f--- do you like us now?!"
The locker room erupted in applause and gathered for a huddle and "U-S-A!" chant.
Watch the video below, with Popovich's speech beginning at 6:09: