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better than Italy or the US?Greece, Spain, Turkey, Argentina, Germany, France, Lithuania
all better
yeah? I am listening.
better than Italy or the US?Greece, Spain, Turkey, Argentina, Germany, France, Lithuania
all better
Italy. If there`s anyone better than the US remains to be seen. The only ones I think might possibly beat them are Argentina and Spain, maybe Greece. I don`t think the rest have a chance.better than Italy or the US?
I think Argentina has a good shot. I am just not impressed with Spain or Greece. Then again..who knows.
None of the Spaniars showed a heart of a champion. Navarro is too hasty, Gasol too angry, Calderon was in Toronto for a year and should recover this year, Garbajosa remains the only strong body with enough hunger, but they don't play on him. We will see in close games. They are well matched against the USA, but they can absolutely slaughter Italy.
I agree with that....that has also plagued Gasol in the NBA.None of the Spaniars showed a heart of a champion
That's how it's been for them ever since they started playing international, and I mean any sport. They look scary at first, and then they pull off their disappearing act every time around.
not only in sports. The mighty spanish armada got its ass kicked by the british when it really mattered too back in the day.
The loss of Zisis may be a huge loss for Greece. Varejao is a pussy.
Italy's a strong team, rebuilding or not.
I thought I'd have this to share with everyone here. It's from an issue of Slam (I know, not the greatest magazine for basketball knowledge but...)
Game Point
by Scoop Jackson
November '04
...So in 1988, when a team stocked with America's best amateur players and coached by John Thompson suffered the worst US showing ever, true to American form, we panicked. Went into elite mode, decided to show and prove dominance, used what we got to get what we wanted. We constructed the greatest pro sports team the world will ever see. The Dream Team changed the game forever. For the worst. For America. And we got no one to blame but we.
In '92, when Magic, Michael, Bird, Barkley, Isiah (oh, sorry), Shaq (oops) and Laettner showed the world what the game was all about, the world took notice. Kids didn't just watch, they studied. Instantly, rims started popping up on soccer fields like they were Escalades. Little Serbian kids began to shoot like Larry, Lithuanians started passing like Earvin, kids in China began rebounding like Karl and running like Clyde. In Argentina, they learned to play D like Scottie, and even Angolans learned how to elbow opponents like Charles. They fell in love...
The world got good for a reason. This wasn't the only one, but it served as a wake up call to the world. I don't think that ing about the Dream Team bolsters your argument very much.
all I meant to say was that everyone was in love with the dream team and then it mattered. But now when they lose, supposedly americans dont care about international compe ion anymore...
I'm disturbed to completely agree with Tpark's first post. At least I can reassure myself that I completely disagree with the hidden reasoning behind it.
Skulls are so thick that they ignore the repeated message that NOBODY REALLY CARED ONCE 1992 WAS OVER!
I bet every in here can name 5 of the Dream Team, and a large percentage can name every one of them.
I bet very few remember who was on the 1996 team or the 2000 team.
Once the Dream Team was over and done with, interest waned.
I love how people come in here and try to tell us our history.
We don't care. Really, we don't.
Stockton making it over Zeke still bugs me. Good thing Thomas lit him up like a pinball machine...
What was it, 44 and 11?
Wow... I understand national pride and everything but, last I checked, we were all on this big planet together.
Damn dude step away from the computer before you have an aneurism. You are just making an ass of yourself throwing around all those generalizations. Most American basketball fans did not pull out the, “we didn’t send our best players” BS. Also, a lot of American basketball sports fans do care about international compe ion. So you were wrong on both points.SOME of you americans are pathetic. You send a super duper dream team at a time where there is practically no compe ion and its "we are the best ever we own everyone we can demolish people in our sleep this is our sport". I mean if this was so irrevelant then why send half of the greatest 50 ever! Moreover at a time when there was practically no compe ion! Then, you send really good players (#1 picks, MVPs, allstars, etc) and get your ass handed to you and its "oh we just dont care about the WC. we REALLY care about the olympics." So you send a couple more MVPs and get your ass handed to you again, and its "well, we still have the best players. if we sent the best players we would have the best team."
ARGENTINA, LEBANON, PUERTO RICO, ETC, DO NOT CHOSE TEAM USA'S NATIONAL TEAM. THAT IS YOUR ING PROBLEM NOT OURS. IF YOU DONT CARE ABOUT THIS , DONT WATCH IT, DONT TALK ABOUT IT, AND DONT POST ABOUT IT. IF YOU REALLY DONT CARE THEN WHY DO YOU EVERY TIME YOU LOSE??
"our imaginary team is the best, its never lost a game!!!" whoop de ing doo, congratulations. My team is there and it will try and beat whoever stands in front of them, your super team of duncan garnett shaq is the four HOFers for all i care, punked by a starless detroit team. Remember that? Ive come to the conclusion the US will never send its best team again, because if they lost they'd lose their favorite cop-out: "if we sent our best..."
ah, but if you had some balls....
So on to the “best player” BS. Did the U.S. player selection process contribute to our failures the last two go a rounds? Yes it did, but that doesn’t change the fact that Argentina won it all fair and square. It doesn’t take anything away from all the clubs that spanked the USA Basketball Team.
But, that is all in the past. Team USA is back. So keep up your USA hating because it’s going to make it that much sweeter when we win it all and I get to throw in your face.
Yeah.. but the question is.....
WTF are they playing for? No NBA Championship, no gold medal....
Why bother? What if they get injured by playing for nothing?
Nice guys finish last on this planet.
It's like the World Cup, instead it's for basketball. They're playing for the Naismith trophy and an automatic bid for the 2008 Olympics.
Sequ, you are a hypocrite
how about for the GLORY?
for brotherhood?
okay don't watch TV. ignore the WC.
act alone and you die alone.
Now that's wisdom right there. Respect!
But Sequ, they do get gold medals...
I already said its best when you send your best, the point is make up your mind, are international tournaments irrelevant or not?? already some people are saying yes and others no.
I lived in the US from 84 to 94 (also 01 to 04) and i think most people cared a lot about the original dream team. and among basketball fans, more so. I can give you links to other BB forums full of evidence of the double standard I am criticizing.
I stand by my initial statement, some Americans only care about international compe ion when they win, and that is weak. If argentina loses this tournament, which is likely (ive been stating weaknesses of the team for weeks), I'll be the first to congradulate whoever wins. But I wont pull a "it doesnt matter, we dont really care about this, we're really a soccer nation and this is just a hobby of a few people" or some such BS.
So you are fine with pulling a "I told you we wouldn't win" after the fact by making sure your prediction of failure is on the record. Some might call that weak fandom. At least the saddle on your high horse is shiny.
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