"They gave USA the Celtics run" - Basketball fans take swipe at Team USA for avoiding top contenders in Olympics knockouts

Fans couldn't believe Team USA's draw in the upcoming knockout phase of the men's basketball tournament at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Some even took a swipe at the United States after the bracket was released since they are avoiding some of the top teams.

Team USA topped rankings after the group stages with a 3-0 record and a point differential of +64. They were ahead of Germany and Canada, who also finished with a 3-0 record. Serbia rounds out the top four followed by France, Australia, Brazil and Greece.

LeBron James and company will take on Brazil in the quarterfinals, which is a one-game knockout round. If they get past their South American foes, they will face the winner of the Serbia-Australia matchup. The other side of the bracket has Germany-Greece and Canada-France.

Fans reacted to Team USA's quarterfinal matchup with Brazil, as well as their potential path to the gold medal. Some took shots and compared the route to what the Boston Celtics did to win the 2024 NBA championship.

"They gave USA the Celtics run," one fan wrote.

"Light work, but don't take them lightly," a fan warned.

"Rigging the olympics for LeBron too now smh," another fan claimed.

The United States avoided Canada, France and Germany in a potential semifinal matchup. Serbia were blown out in the group stage and Australia might not be as strong as their roster back in Tokyo wherein they took home the bronze medal.

"LeRigged pulled some big strings to ensure Gold. Thank you, LeMerica," a fan opined.

"We'll be ready for Germany," one fan commented.

"None of these teams could beat the US in a best of 7. But some have at least a puncher's chance in a single elimination game. The other team could have hot 3 point shooting. Or someone like Jokic/SGA has a super great game," another fan remarked.

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Team USA went through the group stages with ease

There were doubts about Team USA's roster heading into the Olympics due to the ages of LeBron James, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant. There were also doubts about Steve Kerr's coaching translating into the international game.

However, the United States has proven everyone wrong so far after going through the group stage unscathed. They pummeled Nikola Jokic and Serbia in their opening game before blowing out South Sudan in the second. They then easily took care of Puerto Rico to finish with the No. 1 spot on the rankings.

Team USA need three more wins with Brazil as their first target. They have several former NBA players on the roster although they can get hot from beyond the arc at any time. Serbia or Australia will be formidable opponents in the semifinals, while Germany, Canada or France should give Team USA a run for their money.