duncan228
07-26-2008, 10:51 AM
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/team-play-going-2105019-guys-world
Team USA says no breakdowns this time
A lack of cohesiveness led to a 5-3 record and a bronze medal in 2008.
By Janis Carr
LAS VEGAS -- Carlos Boozer's bronze medal from the 2004 Olympics sits in prominently a trophy case, a permanent and patriotic reminder of his play in Athens.
"I'm proud to have represented my country," he said this week after one of Team USA's practices.
The medal also serves as a painful souvenir from the United States' disappointing showing at the 2004 Games, where they were beaten by Argentina in the semifinal, before settling for the bronze with a victory against Lithuania.
Worse, the Americans finished with a 5-3 record. In the previous 12 years when NBA stars were allowed to compete in the Olympics, they hadn't dropped a game.
That's the reason four players have returned to Team USA. They want to erase the bitter taste left by 2004 and their less-than-desirable showing in the 2006 World Championships.
They want to show the world they are not a fractured group of over-paid prima donnas who can't handle the physicality of the international game or play defense.
"We left a lot of unfinished business in Athens and China and Japan, and throughout the whole world. We left a lot of unfinished business," Carmelo Anthony said. "I told everybody I wanted to come back. Had to come back and redeem myself."
Several factors led to the dismal showing. The most glaring was how overconfident and disconnected the Americans were in Athens. The '04 group was led by Allen Iverson, Tim Duncan and Lamar Odom.
"It was very comical. You had to shake your head," said Dwyane Wade, a non-starter on the '04 team. "Everybody on that team was a good individual player, but when you put it together, it didn't work. It was like a bad mix of food.
"From the first team to the second team, there was no commitment. We weren't rooting for each other. We were fighting against each other because everybody wanted to play. I was fighting for five minutes a game.
"I loved all the guys on the team, but it just wasn't the right combination for an Olympic team. Now I look at the team we have, I look at the mix. Look at everything we are doing. We are getting along so well.
"I think it's because we understand we need each other to make this work. It's not going to be five guys. It's going to be 12 guys who are going to get this done."
Take a poll and you'll find the same attitude from LeBron James to Tayshaun Prince to Kobe Bryant to Michael Redd. They believe in the "all for one" philosophy.
"I didn't play much (in '04), but I saw what happened," James said. "We didn't play well enough to win. It's not going to be new to me, but different because I'm so much a part of this team now."
Much of that cohesiveness has been a byproduct of the players' three-year commitment they made when they signed on to play in the Olympics. While it hasn't all be successful (U.S. lost to Greece in the '06 World Championships semifinals), the team has shown it is a force again in international basketball.
"If we stay committed the way we are now, on Aug. 25, we'll have that gold medal," Anthony said. "We've still got that bitter taste in our mouth. It's been four years that we've had to wait for this opportunity, and I've never seen a group of guys this excited about going over there and playing basketball."
US BEATS CANADA, 120-65
Jay Triano, coach of the Canadian National basketball team, figured the only way his team could beat Team USA is if Coach Mike Krzyzewski got lost.
“I was hoping Mike wouldn’t find his way to the arena,” Triano said.
No chance of that happening. In turn, the Canadians didn’t have a chance against the Americans, who ran away with a 120-65 exhibition victory Friday in front of a sold out Thomas & Mack crowd of 18,498.
The game was the first for Team USA in a long string of games leading up to the 2008 Olympics. Team USA is stockpiled with talent and walloped the Canadians, who failed to qualify for the Beijing Games.
Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade and Carlos Boozer each scored 20 points, while Kobe Bryant had 15.
Team USA says no breakdowns this time
A lack of cohesiveness led to a 5-3 record and a bronze medal in 2008.
By Janis Carr
LAS VEGAS -- Carlos Boozer's bronze medal from the 2004 Olympics sits in prominently a trophy case, a permanent and patriotic reminder of his play in Athens.
"I'm proud to have represented my country," he said this week after one of Team USA's practices.
The medal also serves as a painful souvenir from the United States' disappointing showing at the 2004 Games, where they were beaten by Argentina in the semifinal, before settling for the bronze with a victory against Lithuania.
Worse, the Americans finished with a 5-3 record. In the previous 12 years when NBA stars were allowed to compete in the Olympics, they hadn't dropped a game.
That's the reason four players have returned to Team USA. They want to erase the bitter taste left by 2004 and their less-than-desirable showing in the 2006 World Championships.
They want to show the world they are not a fractured group of over-paid prima donnas who can't handle the physicality of the international game or play defense.
"We left a lot of unfinished business in Athens and China and Japan, and throughout the whole world. We left a lot of unfinished business," Carmelo Anthony said. "I told everybody I wanted to come back. Had to come back and redeem myself."
Several factors led to the dismal showing. The most glaring was how overconfident and disconnected the Americans were in Athens. The '04 group was led by Allen Iverson, Tim Duncan and Lamar Odom.
"It was very comical. You had to shake your head," said Dwyane Wade, a non-starter on the '04 team. "Everybody on that team was a good individual player, but when you put it together, it didn't work. It was like a bad mix of food.
"From the first team to the second team, there was no commitment. We weren't rooting for each other. We were fighting against each other because everybody wanted to play. I was fighting for five minutes a game.
"I loved all the guys on the team, but it just wasn't the right combination for an Olympic team. Now I look at the team we have, I look at the mix. Look at everything we are doing. We are getting along so well.
"I think it's because we understand we need each other to make this work. It's not going to be five guys. It's going to be 12 guys who are going to get this done."
Take a poll and you'll find the same attitude from LeBron James to Tayshaun Prince to Kobe Bryant to Michael Redd. They believe in the "all for one" philosophy.
"I didn't play much (in '04), but I saw what happened," James said. "We didn't play well enough to win. It's not going to be new to me, but different because I'm so much a part of this team now."
Much of that cohesiveness has been a byproduct of the players' three-year commitment they made when they signed on to play in the Olympics. While it hasn't all be successful (U.S. lost to Greece in the '06 World Championships semifinals), the team has shown it is a force again in international basketball.
"If we stay committed the way we are now, on Aug. 25, we'll have that gold medal," Anthony said. "We've still got that bitter taste in our mouth. It's been four years that we've had to wait for this opportunity, and I've never seen a group of guys this excited about going over there and playing basketball."
US BEATS CANADA, 120-65
Jay Triano, coach of the Canadian National basketball team, figured the only way his team could beat Team USA is if Coach Mike Krzyzewski got lost.
“I was hoping Mike wouldn’t find his way to the arena,” Triano said.
No chance of that happening. In turn, the Canadians didn’t have a chance against the Americans, who ran away with a 120-65 exhibition victory Friday in front of a sold out Thomas & Mack crowd of 18,498.
The game was the first for Team USA in a long string of games leading up to the 2008 Olympics. Team USA is stockpiled with talent and walloped the Canadians, who failed to qualify for the Beijing Games.
Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade and Carlos Boozer each scored 20 points, while Kobe Bryant had 15.