US basketball star Carmelo Anthony has "guaranteed" a gold medal in Athens.
Anthony's gold medal guarantee has upset coach Brown
But the boastful comments go against the more modest image coach Larry Brown is trying to project for his talented team.
"That's just a young kid saying that," said Brown, who leads the youngest squad at the Olympic tournament.
"But as long as he respects the people we're playing against and understands how good they've got, I don't have any problem with that."
The Americans sealed their place at Athens with victory in the Tournament of the Americas last summer, but of that team, only Allen Iverson, Tim Duncan and Richard Jefferson survive, with newcomers like Anthony and LeBron James now included.
Brown is clearly unhappy with the lack of preparation time the squad have had.
"We've got a lot of teaching to do. If we would have had the nucleus of the guys from last summer, that wouldn't have been necessary," he said.
Whilst Brown has downplayed his team's chances, Anthony says his comments are intended to add a competitive edge to the competition.
"That's going to make the Games more fun," said Anthony.
"Teams aren't scared of us any more. Why not hype it up? We've got to go over there and win."