France prove USA giants not robots after all

Chronic poor shooting led to the US demise as gold medal favourites went down to France

France’s Rudy Gobert dunks on USA in their clash at the Saitama Super Arena yesterday. Picture: Eric Gay/Getty Images

I wasn’t ready for the robot. The US men’s basketball team losing? Sure. France are no mugs, after all. The idea that Kevin Durant and Damian Lillard would misfire, netting just 10 points apiece? OK, it happens. But a LeBron-sized robot shooting a half-court shot with a swishing, elegant follow-through that’d make Steph Curry look… well, robotic? No, I was not ready for that.

When volunteers began to set up ball racks at the break during Sunday night’s Olympic basketball preliminary, I rolled my eyes, wondering what in God’s name they were doing hosting a half-time show in an empty stadium.