"Dream Team"?

Jersey

Why does the U.S. basketball team have such problem at the World Basketball Championships?

Gator5220

Baby steps. They have to learn to play as a team instead of group of individuals.

bri2327

baby steps ???

Are you joking ???

WE invented the game. We should be dominating the game.

Baby steps might be appropriate for U.S. soccer, but not for basketball. No excuse whatsoever, they should be winning.

perkdog

<< <i>baby steps ???

Are you joking ???

WE invented the game. We should be dominating the game.

Baby steps might be appropriate for U.S. soccer, but not for basketball. No excuse whatsoever, they should be winning. >>



Agreed

ctsoxfan

A side note - what channel carried any of these games, and when?

I would have watched the games if I could have found them, but it wasn't very well advertised. 500 channels of digital cable crap, and I get 10 channels of watching potential Jerry Springer guests playing poker, but no World Basketball Championships.

80sToyguy

While I agree Americans have the best players in basketball, it was actually a Canadian who invented the game, feel free to look that one up (and this isn't an attack on you Bri, just fact).

I also don't agree with this being unacceptable, simply because the whole concept of the tournament is terrible to begin with. As Canadians can attest, WE thought we would slaughter the Russians in 1972 just by putting all of our NHL All-Stars on a team even though most of them had never stepped on the ice with the others around them (except for maybe in All-Star Games). We won that tournament 4-3-1, and were very lucky to do so. The Russians played together, lived together, shopped together, knew all of the others moves, similarly to how it is for many of these European basketball nations. How can a group of guys who just got together for 2 weeks before the tournament starts expect to compete?--at least they got a medal, albeit bronze.

Basketball and hockey are extremely similar sports and they are team games, plain and simple. Regardless of individual skill, if you are good at playing together you will win 'most' of the time, even if the team you're playing is loaded with the best players from the NBA.
Jay

MPeter

A group of millionaire thugs trying to show each other up with fancy dunks and no defense............it's never going to work like that.

DaBigHurt

<< <i>A group of millionaire thugs trying to show each other up with fancy dunks and no defense............it's never going to work like that. >>




I couldn't agree more. Thugs and bling bling seeking gang bangers looking for street cred like Kirk Heinrich, Shane Battier and Brad Miller have no place on Team USA!

ctsoxfan

<< <i>

<< <i>A group of millionaire thugs trying to show each other up with fancy dunks and no defense............it's never going to work like that. >>




I couldn't agree more. Thugs and bling bling seeking gang bangers looking for street cred like Kirk Heinrich, Shane Battier and Brad Miller have no place on Team USA! >>



Those dudes were on Team USA? There's your problem right there...our best players are spoiled lazy crybabies who won't play on the USA team. Pretty sad.

MPeter

Maybe they should have an open tryout and put together a team that plays together for more than two weeks. I know NBA players are talented, but why do we always need to form a team with them?

Axtell

I didn't see anyone complaining when the US team was winning by 20.

But the rest of the world has caught up to the US - just because we 'invented' the game doesn't mean we automatically will be superior at it. The rest of the world has gotten better, and is playing at a level of the NBA players. Just because you've never heard of the guys doesn't mean they aren't good.

And 'gang bangers' and 'thugs'? Can you please point out which members of the US roster fits either of these profiles? You won't be able to, as it's an old tired stereotype you're painting that doesn't apply to this team. Try again next time.

ctsoxfan

I've definitely heard of those guys mentioned, but the fact remains that if we put a team out there with Shaq, Tim Duncan, Kobe, Kidd, and several others I could name, this would be a non-issue. Most of those players do not want to commit their off-season time to playing more basketball, and while I can somewhat understand it, not playing comes off as being unappreciative and unpatriotic - to an extent.

Wabittwax

If Jordan, Bird, and Magic never in their lives met each other and were suddenly put on the same team, they would win every game against every opponent in the world, hands down. There is no excuse for our players to be losing games. It comes down to the drive to win, which most of them don't have.

ctsoxfan

<< <i>If Jordan, Bird, and Magic never in their lives met each other and were suddenly put on the same team, they would win every game against every opponent in the world, hands down. There is no excuse for our players to be losing games. It comes down to the drive to win, which most of them don't have. >>



Steve, I'm not so sure about that. I want to believe it, but international teams have gotten much better since 1992, and they are simply not in awe of the US anymore when it comes to basketball. Plus, those teams play together for longer periods before competitions, and display better teamwork and fundamentals. Our best players need to play, but they also need to play as a team, which they cannot seem to do.