ESPN Host Faces Backlash From Former NBA All-Star Over Team USA Comments

Team USA extended its dominance of Olympic basketball after winning a fifth straight crown in Paris last week. LeBron James and Steph Curry led the squad in fending off a tough France side in the gold medal match.

Their undefeated run to the title, including surviving Serbia in the semifinals , drew praise from fans and observers. ESPN's Chris 'Mad Dog' Russo isn't one of them.

During a recent episode of ESPN's "First Take," Russo said he's "sick" of Team USA players "making a big deal about winning a gold medal." He admitted that he was rooting for France to beat Team USA. He also claimed that the "most significant" victory of Team USA was in the 1976 Montreal Olympics.

Former three-time NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas, who's also notorious for making hot takes, was having none of Russo's comments.

“I can’t respect what he’s saying," Arenas said on the "Gil's Arena" podcast . "He said he was rooting for France to win. He’s an American reporter who reports on American basketball players, rooting for them to lose.

"That right there, I can’t respect what you’re saying then, because it comes with a jaded mind.”

Russo said Team USA merely "beat Evan Fournier," conveniently excluding San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama and former Boston Celtics forward Guerschon Yabusele, who both made life difficult for the Americans in the final.

Arenas stressed that Russo's admission that he was cheering for France had already made his opinion invalid.

"That means anything this team does, you don't give a f***. So why would we give a f*** to what you're saying?," said the former three-time All-NBA member.

For what it's worth, Arenas' co-host and fellow ex-NBA player Rashad McCants agreed with Russo.

With the victory in Paris, USA upped its record gold medal haul in men's basketball to 17. The former Soviet Union is second on the list with two gold medals.

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