Iran was defeated against the world’s powerhouse 120-66 in Group A of the 2020 Olympic Games on Wednesday.
After the match, Shahintab applauded Popovich, saying his team learned about basketball with a match against USA.
“Pop is one of those great coaches,” said Shahintab. “He praised my players and I appreciate that. He is a respectful coach and we learned a lot about basketball. We respect people. It’s a break from politics.”
Iran needs to beat France on Saturday and hope for favorable results elsewhere to progress.