USA Basketball celebrates Independence Day in the heart of Havana

For the first time a United States national team celebrates the 4th of July, Independence Day, in Havana…at least since communism arrived on the island.

Instead of fireworks, the Americans launched a hoop ball festival to beat the Cubans by more than 20 points at the Sports City Coliseum to close the first qualifying round of the 2023 Men’s Basketball World Cup in the Philippines. Japan and Indonesia.

It was not a game of “sports diplomacy” like 45 years ago when Senators George McGovern and James Abourezk managed to arrange the trip of two university teams from South Dakota to play some friendly matches with the Cuban national team, a US team that had won the medal bronze in Munich 72.

In April 1977, it was the first time since 1961 that a team from a collective sport from the United States landed in Havana. After that historic moment, American basketball players returned to play at the Coliseum in the XI Pan American Games in Havana in 1991. And they returned 27 years later to play another match on the “FIBA Americas” circuit in 2018.

But for the first time they would do it this July 4th and after singing “The Star-Spangled Banner” the festival of baskets began before a discreet attendance of the Havana public. Xavier Munford scored 24 points and was the top scorer in the victory over Cuba 87-64.

The US advanced to the second round of the Americas Qualifiers with an overall record of 5-1.

“It feels amazing to come here and get a win in Cuba,” Munford said. “It’s the 4th of July and there’s no better feeling than winning tonight.”

The Americans arrived from Puerto Rico where they beat the hosts 83-75 and moved to Havana for the weekend. “We lost the first quarter, the Cubans limited us to 14 points,” US head coach Jim Boylen said. “I thought we responded in the second. And we keep grinding.”

Overall, the US shot 65% from 2-point field goals, an area in which Munford was 7-for-7 for the game. Munford shot 10-for-12 and tied the USA World Cup qualifying team record for most field goals made in a game set by Cameron Reynolds (10 vs. Panama on Feb. 22, 2019). The American team is mostly made up of players from the G League, an NBA developmental league.

Three qualifying windows remain for the US Now in Group F, along with Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Uruguay, the US will need to place in the top three of the group to guarantee a spot at the FIBA World Cup 2023 and take a big step toward USA Basketball qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

“We got together 11 days ago and our team was focused, our guys were great, we worked on the basics, we get better every day and I think we played the right way,” said Boylen who praised his players for their willingness to play these two games. in what he sportingly called “enemy territory.”

In November, on Mexican soil, the game was closer and the US beat Cuba 95-90.

Cuba posted a poor record of 0-6 at this stage. Not the same Cuban basketball we saw in the 1970s when it managed to beat the United States in an official match during the Pan American Games in Cali, Colombia, in 1971.

The Pan American victory is the only Cuban win the 31 game history against the US. From that date to the present day, Cuban basketball has been one of the sports most affected by desertions on the island.