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KoriEllis
08-25-2004, 05:46 PM
Filling in the Blanks: Olympic Expectations
By Lance Blanks

www.nba.com/spurs/blanks/...40820.html (http://www.nba.com/spurs/blanks/blanks_040820.html)

Our 2004 Men's Olympic team has faced an inordinate amount of scrutiny over the past 30 days. Many of the concerns stem from two blowout losses to Italy and Puerto Rico followed by close calls against countries with far less experience in the sport.

Since the original Dream Team in 1992, we have become accustomed to dominating the Olympics in Men's basketball. The Dream Team set a standard that has been difficult to follow.

The 1992 team had four of the best players ever to play the game. Michael, Larry, Magic and Charles could have added anyone with a pulse as their fifth and they would have been able to compete for a gold medal. Michael, Larry and Magic had countless championships under their belt when they participated in the games in Barcelona, Spain. Larry and Magic were at the end of their careers and they possessed the skill and wisdom required to humiliate International opponents on a consistent basis. Michael was in the midst of carrying the Chicago Bulls to the team's third title in a row. He could do things on the basketball court that seemed physically impossible. And Charles was about to turn the Phoenix Suns into an NBA title contender.

The team’s head coach, Chuck Daly, had just completed back-to-back NBA championships (1989-1990). Because of his days in Detroit with the Bad Boys, he was the perfect coach to manage the strong personalities on the Dream Team. Needless to say, 1992 was a magical team that took the world by storm. All the right pieces were in all the right places at the right time. Comparing the 1992 team to subsequent Olympic teams is grossly unfair to both. It's like trying to compare two siblings to one another. You quickly realize they possess characteristics that are unique and contradictory to one another. This year's team has its own unique personality which should be celebrated and supported by all Americans.

Despite some of the recent struggles, this year's team deserves a little more respect than we have been willing to give them. This is a younger group of guys who are learning how to play against international competition in a hostile environment. It seems that regardless of the outcome the team will be ridiculed for their performance. If they win by ten points fans seem to have expected a twenty-point margin, and if they win by twenty points people ask why wasn't it a thirty-point win?

Earlier in the week I got excited watching the Americans come together during the game against Greece. During many of the critical moments of the game, Tim Duncan was relegated to the bench because of a few questionable calls that were against him. He eventually fouled out of the game forcing his teammates to bond together and fill a huge void that had been left by his absence. With Tim on the bench, Lamar Odom stepped up and made numerous defensive plays as the Greek crowd chanted and waved their flags. In the closing moments of the game, Allen Iverson raced from one end of the court to the other attempting to impact the game in any way that he could despite the broken thumb he suffered from a few days before. The entire bench (led by Tim) seemed to be on its feet yelling and cheering for one another as the coaching staff gave instructions to the players on the floor. I felt like I was witnessing a true American moment by a group of young men who were doing their best to represent their country in the right way. Teammates giving it everything they had while pulling for one another in the heat of the battle. It seemed as though the only thing that mattered was getting the victory for their country.

Competing in these Olympic Games is like having to take a test that requires 100% accuracy in order to receive a passing grade. It's almost as if we expect them to bring home a platinum medal in an event that rewards the winner with a gold. Imagine trying to compete in the world's most important international event without the unconditional support of your fans back home. With less than two weeks to go in the Olympics, I am sure there will be times to question something about this team. Shooting seems to be the most popular criticism. Having played basketball in an international setting I can assure you that shooting is only part of what it takes to win basketball games in a global setting. Each one of our players possesses the one ingredient that is needed to win the gold medal, HEART. These guys have given lots of time and energy to represent our country in Athens. Why not take part in the solution by supporting their efforts to bring home a gold medal?

After all, they’re Americans.

BigVee
08-25-2004, 06:08 PM
Amen. It is obvious that certain player's weaknesses have been exposed, but as I watch these games I don't see a lack of effort.