USA Olympic Basketball

Bwahahahaha!

Only USA team I'm cheering against. What a bunch of self-involved primadonnas whose lofty images of themselves are deservedly kicked down a notch.

Yeah I''m glad they lost too. All they did was whine and complain the whole game. Maybe in 2008 they will put together a team that actually plays well together instead of a bunch of superstars.

"Elysium" wrote:

Bwahahahaha!

Only USA team I''m cheering against. What a bunch of self-involved primadonnas whose lofty images of themselves are deservedly kicked down a notch.

I can''t believe how badly ""the millionaires"" just got rolled. Puerto Rico played flawlessly.

I''m certainly glad to see the NBA''s ""street ball"" version of basketball got thrown back in their face, although I''m sad for Tim Duncan. He seems like a class act (I''m sure there are others on that team that are good citizens also). I hope David Stern is enjoying the NBA''s showing.

I do wonder, though, if the Detroit Pistons would have cake-walked through the games. They certainly played a style of basketball (during the playoffs) that hasn''t been seen in the NBA in a while. I think they would have destroyed teams with their defense.

I think the biggest difference has become the team mentality versus the all-star mentality. Puerto Rico, above all else, played as a team. They certainly rose above the sum total of their collective talent, and it seemed as the individual US players were stymied in their solo efforts they couldn''t form a cohesive team. They certainly didn''t lack the raw talent to defeat Puerto Rico. But they seemed to lack the heart.

I do feel a bit for Tim Duncan, though raising yourself above the personality bar in the NBA is simply a matter of neither comitting a felony or openly praising yourself as higher than other mortals.

I''m with you Elysium. We get a bunch of hotshots out there who do nothing but try to make the highlight reel. What they should do is have whatever team wins the championship be the Olympic team.

You probably would never be able to do that as I am sure not everyone on most NBA teams are American. Although I am sure a lot of Americans would like to think so.

After reading about it on several sites, it appears that the strategy was to collapse everyone in on Duncan when he got the ball, thus taking away the best scoring opportunity for the USA. Considering, like Ulairi said, most of the rest of the team is from the highlight reel version of the NBA, its not very surprising they weren''t able to make outside shots (that takes practice, and as the team captain has said so many times - ""who needs practice?""). The Detroit Pistons were able to win because they played unbelievable defense as a team. I think they would have done well in the Olympics, but several of their players, I believe, had off-season surgery and wouldn''t have been available.

It''s a disgrace that these guys ever were called Dream Team in the first place. There''s nothing, truly nothing that puts this team even remotely close to the original Dream Team. I still remember the Olympic Games in Barcelona quite well. Awesome atmosphere and Johnson, Bird et al had a great time. Everyone simply wanted to watch them and even most of the fans of the other teams cheered at them. And if anything, this thread shows that the current US team doesn''t even have full support from ''their own people''.

"Gaald" wrote:

You probably would never be able to do that as I am sure not everyone on most NBA teams are American. Although I am sure a lot of Americans would like to think so.

The majority of the teams are American. It might not be the full starting five but you could find five on the winning teams to play. I still think that would be better than what we have been getting.

And if anything, this thread shows that the current US team doesn''t even have full support from ''their own people''.

Just goes to show you how much professional sports has changed in the last 12 years.

To think of Alan Iverson representing me and my country in ANYTHING just makes me ill. Of course, being in the town he grew up in, I might be biased, but that''s just the way a lot of people here see it as well.

Score one for the home team! (I am Puerto Rican).

*Does a pants free jig*

Can anyone explain to me how NBA players get to play in the Olympics? I''ve never figured that one out...

"sheared" wrote:

I do wonder, though, if the Detroit Pistons would have cake-walked through the games. They certainly played a style of basketball (during the playoffs) that hasn''t been seen in the NBA in a while. I think they would have destroyed teams with their defense.

As a basketball fan, I''d rather send the current NBA champs to the olympics than some half-assed, thrown together team of stars.

Let the NBA send the Pistons. Any team, really, just stop the Dream Team stuff already.

"sheared" wrote:

After reading about it on several sites, it appears that the strategy was to collapse everyone in on Duncan when he got the ball, thus taking away the best scoring opportunity for the USA.

True, and its a good strategy. Trap duncan, and he''s forced to pass the ball back out. That means that someone, anyone has to make the outside shot. 3-24 shooting isn''t going to cut it.

Considering, like Ulairi said, most of the rest of the team is from the highlight reel version of the NBA, its not very surprising they weren''t able to make outside shots (that takes practice, and as the team captain has said so many times - ""who needs practice?"").

I''m not going to jump on the ""let''s bash AI"" train-his play has been more than solid thus far. He''s dishing, playing D, penetrating the zone, doing everything Larry Brown asks of him.

Plus, he''s one of two top tier players that even bothered showing up.

The Detroit Pistons were able to win because they played unbelievable defense as a team. I think they would have done well in the Olympics, but several of their players, I believe, had off-season surgery and wouldn''t have been available.

It all depends on which team goes, right? The championship team would not have been able too, without substitutions-Okur plays for Turkey, for example. maybe the NBA can draw up a short list of subs for injured players-say if Chauncy Billups is injured, you can bring a comparable gaurd in-not Kidd, since we know there isn''t another PG in Kidd''s league, but maybe Marbury, Bibby, or James.

But if the Detroit played their post draft/free agency roster (McDyess, etc.) then yes, the Pistons would be good to go.

"Chumpy_McChump" wrote:

Can anyone explain to me how NBA players get to play in the Olympics? I''ve never figured that one out...

Prior to the 1992 Olympics, the IOC changed the rules to allow professional players to compete in the Games-that allowed top tennis, basketball, hockey, and other players to compete.

"mateo" wrote:
"Chumpy_McChump" wrote:

Can anyone explain to me how NBA players get to play in the Olympics? I''ve never figured that one out...

Prior to the 1992 Olympics, the IOC changed the rules to allow professional players to compete in the Games-that allowed top tennis, basketball, hockey, and other players to compete.

Except our Baseball players. We would own Cuba if we could get a pro team in.

"mateo" wrote:

Prior to the 1992 Olympics, the IOC changed the rules to allow professional players to compete in the Games-that allowed top tennis, basketball, hockey, and other players to compete.

Any idea why? I thought one of the main thrusts of the Olympics was amateur competition.

Any idea why? I thought one of the main thrusts of the Olympics was amateur competition.

increased revenues

Ratings. Revenue. More jerseys to sell.

Yeah, it was definitely interest from both sides.

The IOC was interested in getting the NBA athletes because that would help them gaining more attention in the US and whereever else the NBA is popular. Also, a competition without the best teams isn''t that appealing to the crowd in general. Same reason why professional cyclists like Jan Ullrich or Lance Armstrong (who decided against participating in Athen) or Top 10 tennis players are allowed to join.

And the NBA again, of course, realized that could be a huge chance to get more people interested in their product. And Barcelona 1992 sure as hell worked very well for them, probably even better than expected.

There are still restrictions for soccer though. And the FIFA wouldn''t really appreciate it if there was another big tournament competing with their own events. Also, the schedule of your average player in a good team is already loaded as it is with well over 60-70 games per year.

Also in many countries, the Soviets being one at the time and China one now, the athletes weren''t ''professional'' but they were supported by their states with places to live/train and such.

Here''s what a CNN/SI apologist has to say about the US loss.

Also, pro players have been allowed in for baseball since Sidney.