Coach K thinks Team USA is having too much fun

After Team USA’s 50-point blowout of China, Coach Mike Krzyzewski says that the players should tone down their antics.

Before the Rio Olympics get underway, Team USA got to host two exhibition matches against China to show that, even without LeBron James and Stephen Curry, they’re still the class of the basketball tournament. After beating up on China 106-57 in LA, they bettered themselves by one point and won 107-57 in Oakland.

In a blowout like that, the players needed to give the fans a reason to stick around, which is why they resorted to Harlem Globetrotter-like antics. Whether it was Kevin Durant proving that he’ll fit in with the Golden State Warriors right away when he prematurely celebrated a three-point attempt by Kyle Lowry, or DeMar DeRozan trying to end careers by attempting a 360 poster dunk, they gave fans a lot to get excited about.

But if there’s one person who didn’t like what they did, it’s coach Mike Krzyzewski. When he spoke to the media following the game, he told them that the team had “too much fun” and should “tone that down.”

That may not sit well with fans who want to be entertained, but Coach K is one of the most respected coaches in all of basketball. What he’s saying about staying true to the game and respecting the opposition is in line with the fundamental principles of basketball. It’s okay to have fun, but crossing the line will usually backfire. For example, a lot of people think Warriors lost the NBA Finals last month because they became overconfident.

There was nothing all that wrong with DeRozan going for that dunk attempt. But if he tries that again in Rio, he’d better be prepared to face the music, not only from media, but from his coach as well.