The United States Men’s and Women’s Basketball teams are not taking any chances with the suspect lodging situation in the athlete village at the upcoming Olympics in Rio. According to Fox Sports, USA Basketball has reserved the entire Silver Cloud cruise ship, which can accommodate up to 400 people in its 196 cabins.
The ship, already docked in the Maua Port Terminal in Rio, will not be easily accessible for visitors. The security for the cruise ship includes a fence made of bulletproof material and the players will be guarded by 250 Federal Police officers. In addition, the Federal Police will have two boats to patrol and prevent other vessels from navigating near the cruise ship.
USA basketball not staying in the athlete village isn’t a new concept. The NBA guys (and to a lesser extent the WNBA ladies) are among the most recognizable athletes in the world. Safety and security are always a concern, especially with the “uninhabitable” claims regarding the athlete village.
So, the men’s and women’s teams will be staying on the same luxury cruise ship during the two weeks, huh? Oh man, ya’ll need to stop and get your minds out of the gutter…