the dream the team redeemed

2004 is what brought all this about, but your recollection of 2006 is completely false.
In other words: you got it all wrong, Bat.

 

BS. the NBA backlash started prior to the '04 Olympics and many writers were out to prove their "the U.S. players lack fundamentals" talking point to be true more than wanting to see that '04 team win.

The only difference between this year's team and the 04' team is U.S. Basketball committee got their act together. But it was more important for some to call out the players rather than seeing it for what it was.

 

The committee did not rebound, shoot or play defense.

I agree you cannot prepare for three weeks, but it took commitment from the players in practice and on the court to win this.

I think Prince, Redd and Boozer riding the pine and not screaming for their own playing time should not be overlooked.

 

I don't get what you're trying to say. You agree with the point that it would take more than 20 days for a team polish its act, yet you counterpoint it by acting as if a lack of committment lead to their demise.

Point blank, the U.S. Basketball committee got it right this time and the the players stewing on the '04 bench were not the cause of that team's failures.

 

You need both to be successful.

Some players will not accept the team concept, no matter how long you coach them.

But those players who are open to learning and being teammates and not ball hogs do need time to prepare.

 

Skip Bayliss just said that had Chris Paul not given Ginobilli a cheap shot in the semi's which knocked him out of the game, the USA would not have won the game and would have then struggled to win the bronze because they'd have lost interest.

Again -- eight games, a 28-point margin of victory average.

 

I guess Skip forgot about Manu trying to drag Paul to the floor to draw a charge, and getting nailed for a foul himself.

Thanks for reminding me why I don't listen to or read that guy.

 

It's funny how the U.S. team full of ball hogs in '04 lead all teams in assists.

Like I said, it seems to me that its more important to some writers to hold onto their "ball hogging" "they're not playing the right way" "lacking fundamentals" mantra than actually watching basketball and calling out the committee for their failures.

 

The NBA backlash started with a sixth-place finish in the 2002 World Championships, an event played in the United States. The U.S. got humiliated on its homecourt.
It continued with another crap performance in 2004.
There was a lot wrong, from how USA Basketball was administered to how the players comported themselves and treated the competition.
These problems were not solved simply by getting big-name players to agree to play. They were solved by getting great players to adopt roles and to play for each other. If you watched this tournament and did not see that, I suggest you might want to spend more time watching tennis, because basketball is not your game.

 

Now that we've proven we can win the Gold medal in basketball any time we really give a damn to try -- every NBA player should have it written in their contract that they do NOT have to play in the Olympics.

Why should they? To quote Ricky Watters - "for who, for what?"

The Olympics are a meaningless exhibition that does nothing for an NBA player -- other than add wear and tear to their bodies and force them to spend another two months of their offseason away from home.

The other countries give a shit about the Olympics that doesn't mean we have to.

There is no way I'd risk a career-ending knee injury to play in a bullshit made-for-television event that is almost 100 percent risk with very little reward.

 

Twoback is absolutely correct.

"Adopting roles and playing for each other" is how you take a group of stars and make a winning team.

USA Hockey could learn a little something from this basketball team, starting with the next World Junior Team.

 

Absolutely, 100 % correct. Anyone who thinks that the U.S. won just because they threw LeBron, Kobe and Wade out there is just thick-headed.