"We have to redeem ourselves" - USA coach Weber says

COLORADO SPRINGS (United States) - LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Kobe Bryant led the United States at the 2008 Olympics, a group known more commonly as "The Redeem Team". The group of Americans heading to Greece for the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2019 will be out for their own bit of redemption, USA head coach Bruce Weber admits.

Those NBA stars were out to make right third placed finishes at the 2004 Olympics and the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2006. Weber’s young men will be looking to help USA Basketball bounce back from third place at the 2017 U19 World Cup with the team losing to Canada in the Semi-Finals.

"Obviously I wasn’t part of it, but it’s disappointing for USA Basketball. We saw the video and we heard the announcer say the greatest moment in Canadian basketball," Weber said. "The (freshly-crowned NBA champions) Toronto Raptors may have now surpassed that, but it shows you how much it means to the other countries. We’re the ones who everyone is trying to beat … You know you’re going to get everyone’s best shot."

Weber said the loss to Canada in Cairo was addressed right away on the first day of training camp for Heraklion with Sean Miller, the head coach of the 2015 U19 World Cup title-winning USA team and USA Basketball Men’s Junior National Team Committee member, showing the players the broadcast of the USA defeat to Canada in 2017.

The United States team will be looking to get back to the top of the podium at the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2019 - just like the 2015 group, also in Heraklion

"Sean did a great job from Day 1. He showed the video of that loss, that it was a disappointment. It was two years ago, these guys weren’t part of it, but we are representing the United States and the United States lost, so now we have to come in and redeem ourselves," Weber said.

The Kansas State University coach, who served as a USA Basketball Men’s Junior National Team committee member from 2009 to 2012, expects a major challenge in Greece.

"It’s one of the toughest competitions of all the FIBA events. Obviously the Olympics you have the best players, but with this competition it seems like the international teams still have potential pros playing and they haven’t moved up. So you play well-schooled teams that have been together and you’re going to play against very good players who you will see in the NBA in a few years from now," he said. 

When asked about what he is looking for in the 12 players he is taking to Heraklion, Weber said: "The big thing is toughness. It’s a long trip. We are going to another country, different foods, different timezones, all that stuff. So toughness will be very, very important. Also, ability to be coachable because you’re playing against teams that have been together and are going to execute. So do we have the IQ to match that. It’s very, very important. And then I believe that they want to be here and represent the USA. They understand that it’s important and they take a strong pride in that."

Weber knows that pride and toughness will be needed because the road to redemption and the United States’ seventh U19 World Cup title in 14 editions will not be easy, starting with a Group A with Lithuania, New Zealand and Senegal.

“(THE SEMI-FINAL LOSS TO CANADA) WAS TWO YEARS AGO, THESE GUYS WEREN'T PART OF IT, BUT WE ARE REPRESENTING THE UNITED STATES AND THE UNITED STATES LOST, SO NOW WE HAVE TO COME IN AND REDEEM OURSELVES.”- Weber

"It's a very tough pool. Lithuania are in the top three, so they are very good. Basketball in Australia and New Zealand has taken big steps. A lot of those kids have played in the United States. It’s not going to be easy. A lot of times you can breeze through your pool, but I’m not sure that’s going to happen," he said.

Weber and his men can expect a tough fight to get the same result The Redeem Team did back in 2008.

FIBA