They can compare to them. How can't they? Is your deffinition of comparing to another team being better than the other? It wouldn't be a walk in the park of the US team either.
Actually, the US lost to Argentina in 2002 in the Indiannapolis World Championships, where Duncan and KG both played. I have a video clip of Nocioni dunking on TD and KG, but I won't post it because we aren't supposed to.
That is exactly what I mean. It is pretty in embarrassing that people who are chosen to represent their own country would actually back down because they are scared of terrorists. Bootom line is every athlete in every country were scared, the difference was that they took the honor to represent rather and making bull excuses.
I think the amount of money these guys get paid has a lot to do with their selfishness. If I had a chance to represent my country, I would do it in a heartbeat, and it wouldn't necessarily have to be basketball. If they paid players to compete in the olympics, then maybe they would go. Who knows.
The love of the game seems to diminish after players get to the superstar status in the NBA.
WE DID BEAT THE BEST THE US WAS WILLING TO SEND!!! what the do you call TD? or AI? scrubs?? All I'm saying is if you're going to make excuses like "we didn't send our best" then send your best and stop crying! You're the one that called our pride in our basketball "moronic"!!
Ganging up on you??? You're the one that started the insults! don't come crying when we insult you back!
Then why do the Spurs have so much interest in Scola and Oberto? And why did they put such a priorty on signing Manu last summer?
A lot of people remember the original dream team that wiped the floor with everyone. Those guys were, IMO, the ultimate dream team. They checked their egos and played as a team. I don't think we've seen anything like that from Team USA since. Most of the guys that go are good guys, i.e. Tim, but they just don't have the chemistry of the original dream team.
I think that the success of Argentina had a lot to do with them having played together for so long. They've scrapped it out through the years and it's finally paying off. I'd say that any national team that has kept their core guys together and stayed focus have a chance to beat anybody. You take a group of USA's best guys and have them play together for a couple of years, they would definitely give anyone a run for their money. But that's not how Team USA works. They obviously got the message though and are making some changes - I'll be interested to see what happens next.
I agree 100%!! I like you spurschick!
dude alvarez, if you think amare stoudamire was playing in the olympics the way he was against the spurs in the WCF youre a moron
if you think marbury was a leader on that team you are just repeating stuff you probably read on the internet
wade did in the olympics too
lebron played pretty good defensively but thats it
and tim was getting jewed like no freaking other....
Okay everybody... hug it out.
American Reign Is Over for Good
By Adriano Albuquerque
for HOOPSWORLD.com
Jul 7, 2005, 15:23
http://www.hoopsworld.com/article_13283.shtml
US basketball fans, I'm sorry to break this one to you, but the reign is over and it's not coming back. Most people thought that loss to Argentina in the 2004 Olympics was just a lapse, the wake up slap in the face americans needed to get back on the horse and become dominating again in the world stage, but it's not gonna happen. Not if USA Basketball works the way they've planned.
Right after the 2004 Olympics, the organization started making plans for the country to not repeat the Athens fiasco. Panels of former Olympic coaches and players were assembled to discuss how to change the picture on the National Team, to make the best players want to represent the country in the world stage, plus making trials for them to prove themselves.
Then, comes the first world-stage test for americans, the Tournament of Americas, which happens next August in the Dominican Republic, but nothing happens. USA Basketball nominates former USA Basketball and CBA coach Mo McHone as the head coach and starts trials for NBDL and other leagues players. NBA guys? Nowhere to be found. And if that wasn't bad enough, they only get together for training in August 6th, less than a month away from the Tournament, which qualifies for next year's World Championships, in Japan.
I wonder what those guys are thinking, seriously. I wonder, they probably think Argentina was an overnight story. They forget that, by now, they almost got beaten at the Sydney Olympycs, at the Goodwill Games one year after that, and then got beaten at the World Championships (in Indianapolis), at the PanAm Games and in Athens, by Argentina, Spain, Brazil, Puerto Rico and Lithuania.
The Tournament of Americas qualifies four teams for the Worlds. Argentina's already qualified, but that doesn't make the job any easier. There's still Brazil, Canada, Dominican Republic, Mexico and Puerto Rico, all teams with NBA players on their rosters. Not to mention Uruguay, Venezuela and Panama, which complete the field and can be threats. There's a HUGE risk that americans don't make it to the Worlds, which is the best preparation stage they will find for the 2008 Olympics.
Argentina wasn't overnight. That group of kids, with Ginobili, Luis Scola, Fabrício Oberto, Andres Nocioni, Leonardo Gutierrez and Pepe Sanchez, has been playing together since they were teenagers. They know each other better than they know themselves. They've played the FIBA game forever and the rule differences that bother americans mean nothing to them.
Brazil, Canada and Puerto Rico aren't overnight, either. Their training camps will start in July and they're deep and hungry. They're not preparing just for the Worlds, they're already making the basis for 2008. USA tells me they're gonna send some CBA people and solve it? The time to start preparing for China-2008 is now.
Specially with pro basketball, with NBA players, which don't get rests and friendly games during the season. They only have about two months per year to do that kind of training together, so do it. Don't wait another year.
If the Americas field is already that deep, imagine when you throw in Europe, with Italy, France, Spain, Lithuania, Serbia & Montenegro, Germany, Turkey... And don't forget Australia and China!
Americans don't need panels of former greats, don't need to make trials. It's pure and simple: get the best ones on the floor, and get them early. Get Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Jason Kidd, Tracy McGrady, AI, Ray Allen, Tim Duncan, KG, Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton, SHAQ, and get them practicing now.
Yeah, I know that's impossible... And that's probably why the reign is over. For good.
That is not my fault!!!
Amare had the same talent as he did in the WCF, he just had a different point guard, by the name of Steve Nash, but talent wise, he was right there.
I have a ing question:
When did the theory that if you have the good players, they are required to play well, or if they don't and they lose, then the opposing team didn't deserve it, pop up.
What you guys are saying is rediculous, it's not my fault that they didn't perform well or anything, but the talent was there. You can't assume that your players will play with excellence in every single game. Get real, happens.
Period.US basketball fans, I'm sorry to break this one to you, but the reign is over and it's not coming back
im all for argentina winning that trophy, im glad the us lost to tell you the truth guys, you'll never see me trying to stick up for the "team" that we sent out there
i knew we were ed when it took an allen iverson 60 foot three pointer to beat the germans....
The only reason Sense and I were talking smack because even though we can admit you guys were by far the best team in the olympics, we're not blinded and still know that if the best americans teamed up and practiced for years together, then the world would still stand no chance.
yes the americans are greedy, selfish, etc. all we're sticking by is that simple fact. if we sent our best and they practiced together for an extended period, the world would have got owned once again. but it didnt happen. theres a reason that NOONE called last years olympic team a dream team....cuz it wasnt....
furthermore, i firmly believe that if the USA team we DID send, played against the argentina or lithuiania or any team imaginable on an NBA COURT with the NBA THREE and NBA REFS, then you guys would still stand no chance.....not because we're better than you but because anyone could tell that they called the game differently
its fact, not opinion.
alvarez if they called tim duncan for in the nba playoffs the way they did in the olympics you'd be pissed like no other
I know I would.
But do you honostly think the NBA players need to spend years of practice together? They play from 2-4 games against every team in the league during the regular season, and then there's play-offs. They also play in all-star games, and they all know how each player plays.
W/ the Argentine national team, most of the players play in different countries, in some cases continents, so they really don't see each other until the times where they are recruited to play for the big compe ions.
I just think the NBA players on the US team didn't know how to play like a real team. Adding more superstars might even be worse, if you think about it. T-mac, kobe, shaq, AI...they don't wanna share the rock.
If you remember from the olympics, guys like Boozer and Jefferson where making more of a difference than a lot of the superstars.
Just because the U.S. put their "best" players together, it doesn't mean they had the chemistry to win. Look at the 04 Lakers. They were supposed to be the best NBA team evey assembled. I think that all this speculation about the best U.S. guys in the NBA beating any international team is just that... speculation. Without chemistry, it's hard for any team to get it done. That's why I think a handful of these international teams are doing so well now. They've been playing together for years and have established great chemistry. Look at the Spurs - they've done the same with their core players.
I think that if the US has the same players they had in Athens, but this time, makes sure that these "superstars" actually learn how to play like a team, then yeah I think they would beat nearly everyone they went up against. But until they do, that will always be an IF, and it doesn't change the fact that right now, the US is simply not the best in basketball anymore. Not because of lack of talent, because everyone knows they have it, but lack of chemistry! Which is much more important IMO. Personally I do think the US is going to win next Olympics, but until then...
yes man i do think that. like you said 2-4 games against every team...thats jack ...im sure real teams play 2-4 games against each other in the course of 1-2 days not 1 entire season.
its like playing in real life man it takes you constant hours of working together to know each others tendencies and , its different than playing together or playing against...
Whatever, I understand you want to give your teams a chance when it comes to international basketball..
So I don't care, I stand for what I believe, and I'm not American.
guys you all talk about US agains Argentina and other smaller European countries.. but you canīt compare US to Italy, or France, or even Slovenia.. US have 300. milion people, Slovenia just 2 million!!! there is no sense. and if you are thinking of making a dream team, that can not be beaten, think also about another way. what about european dream team????? createn from players from nba and EL, against your superstars.
my dreamteam roster::
C: Ilgauskas, Brezec, rasho
PF: Nowitzki, Gasol
SF: Stojakovic, Kirilenko, Radmanovic
SG: Macijauskas, Nachbar, some other sharpshooters
PG: Sarunas, Parker, Lakovic
and there are many other great player..
and if these players really become a team.. is there any possible team that can stop them??? i donīt think so
Neither KG or TD played in the 2002 World Championships, that Nocioni dunk is from a Olympics Qualifying Tournament (I believe the year was 1999 or 2000).
For the people that say that TD was getting jewed: Actually he was getting the non-NBA calls. That means, "I don't care if you are a two times NBA champ, three times MVP, I'm still calling a foul when I should". Fans of international basketball will certainly tell you that appart from the different rules, and the more team oriented play, the other big difference with the NBA is that most of the referees don't give cheap star calls.
Oh really, I thought they did. I forgot when the Nocioni dunk was from.
Tim was getting hosed. I do agree that the refs were calling actual fouls on the US players, something they were not used to...but they were also stacking it against Timmy because he was an NBA star, IMO. That being said, it doesn't matter. The fundamental flaw in USA Basketball (the organization) finally proved fatal. Spurschick hit it on the head. Argentina's team has played together for years. They know what each other can do and where they like the ball, how they move, etc. The US team just had no contiunity. It wasn't so much of a case of the world catching up to the NBA, it was the world saying "this is the way we play, like it or not" and sticking with it and letting their game evolve. If Team USA takes the talent it has, and conforms the team to the international game they will be a lot more successful. And yes, we need to send the best. Despite Manumania's rantings to the contrary, it wasn't a matter of USA basketball not sending the best, it was the individual players refusing. All those players that refused were invited, they just chose to turn it down. One thing I will give the international players, to them it seems that playing for your country is the ultimate honor. A lot of US players could care less. The "sportscenter, And 1, hood rat, I gots ta get mine" mentality that has infected NBA basketball has replaced Gold with green.
guys you all talk about US agains Argentina and other smaller European countries.. but you canīt compare US to Italy, or France, or even Slovenia.. US have 300. milion people, Slovenia just 2 million!!! there is no sense. and if you are thinking of making a dream team, that can not be beaten, think also about another way. what about european dream team????? createn from players from nba and EL, against your superstars.
my dreamteam roster::
C: Ilgauskas, Brezec, rasho
PF: Nowitzki, Gasol
SF: Stojakovic, Kirilenko, Radmanovic
SG: Macijauskas, Nachbar, some other sharpshooters
C:SHAQ, BEN WELLACE
PFUNCAN,AMARE
SF:GARNETT,T-MAC
SG:KOBE,WADE
ADD ONS: REDD;LBJ; AND ANYBODY ELSE
You have to be kidding me... you got Rasho on that list your team loses the minute he steps on the court against the U.S DIRK cant fade KG GASOL wil get murdered by TD lets not talk about the SG position that team wouldnt beat the NC tarheals lol
PG: Sarunas, Parker, Lakovic
and there are many other great player..
and if these players really become a team.. is there any possible team that can stop them??? i donīt think so
It wasn't rantings my friend, and I understand that the US can only invite the players to go, its the same over here. I was just saying that apparently US players don't care enough about representing their country to participate in the olympics.
how come everybody keeps pointing out the fact tha the US did indeed have talent on the 2004 squad? This is not my argument... of course we had talent we are the U.S for crying out loud. The argument is that we did not send the best possible collection of players to represent... my other claim is that even with only 2-3 weeks of practice our very best collection of players are still good enough to beat any team in the world easily
the incredible ICE300 has spoken
pooof......
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