Olympic mens basketball not playing for gold.
 

http://www.tsn.ca/olympics/news_story.asp?id=96518

"For the first time since NBA players began competing at the Olympics, the United States men's team will not be playing for a gold medal.


Argentina, which has never won a medal in men's Olympic basketball, upset the defending gold medalists, 89-81 in Friday's semifinal.

The American team came into these Games with a 109-2 record at the Olympics, but lost three times in Athens. Brown's team fell in the preliminary round by 19 points to Puerto Rico and by four to Lithuania."

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Well I have to say, I don't think this is as big of a shock as the media is making it out to be. The men this year didn't have the chemistry to make it this time around.

Shitty team packed down with too much 2nd rate NBA talent. It's been almost upsetting watching this team play, they deserve this.

that was no upset. Argentina was simply the better team. period.

Bah, I don't even want to talk about it.

I don't see what the big deal is. You know what they say, you can't win them all. U.S.A. didn't win gold in many events, although I believe we do still lead in Gold and overall medals. Basketball is just one event we didn't win gold in. Yawn.

Basketball is somehow different, its something we should never lose. I don't know how to explain it rationaly but its not right. No body remembers the honor of playing in the olympics and how most people struggle there entire lives to get to this level. It seemed like more of an obligation than a privelege to this team. I hope they lose the bronze too, maybe next time we will have a real team again.

You know that before today we had never got anything less then a silver medal in the Olympics, and that was only once, right (twice, but the '72 team refused their medals)?

All I can say is I hope we can win tomorrow so we at least have A medal. If we don't, I think that group of players will never be seen in an Olympic tournament again.

*blech*

Where have you gone Larry Bird? Allen Iverson turns his tattoed eyes to you (Ooo ooo ooo)

Larry Brown said it all:
"We've got athletes. They've got basketball players. They play as a team and we don't."

My theory on this is that they sent over this 3rd rate squad so they wouldn't show up the rest of the world so badly. You have to wonder what kind of damage a team of, say, Bibby-Billups-Shaq-Garnett-McGrady would have done.

This "Dream Team" lacked any pure shooters and was just full of athelets. In the international version of basketball, shooting and passing when games, not dunking. The never had a fair shot at gold just because of the way the team was constructed. Granted, if all the players who originally agreed to play had played, we wouldnt be talking about this.

This fact doesn't upset me nearly as much as not having a baseball team at the games.

they should have sent over the pistons

USA would have cleaned shop

I agree, that should be the new rule, who ever wins the championship before the olympics goes and plays for the US. Detroit plays great team ball, would have dominated if they were there.

Shaq would have the same problem with the officials that they're having now: driving the lane is apprently illegal in international BBall. It's a shame for America to not win gold in a sport that it originated, same with baseball. I haven't seen a single stat for USA baseball this year, did we not qualify? After winning gold in Sydney?

The real question is has the NBA deteriorated due to weak officiating (the scowls and dirty looks from the players just doesn't have the same effect on international officials), showboating, bad attitudes, and cradle robbing (high schoolers going directly to the NBA is common now)? I agree that this years Pistons would have walked away with gold easily but for the same reasons they beat the Lakers--passing, teamwork, etc.--NOT because the international teams are so weak.

I'd like to see an NBA franchise transplant an entire international team into their roster and watch them play the full 84 games. I'm fairly sure, even with the bigger 3pt. arc, that they'd make the playoffs, especially in the fundamentals-free Western conference.

1. I really like the expanded key. It opens up the game. It would be great in the NBA. Shaq could no longer just drop step and dunk.

2. If you put just Garnett and Kobe on this team they would tear it up. KG is built for the international game, big,fast and great outside shot. While Kobe's not the best team player in the world he one hates losing more than anyone in the league and two would kill from the shortened 3 point shot if either left alone or even stuck with a euro guard on him.

3. Bibby would have been a good addition and would TMac, but my personal opinion is that TMac was scared to go- I've never seen that guy consistently display heart in any series of games that mattered.

Has anyone else noticed that today's john stocktons are coming from overseas or canada? Pure point guards are getting tough to find.

I just found this article. I hope the link works.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5845326/

Pretty good read...makes a lot of sense.

I was glad to see them not even playing for the gold. They didn't play as a team at all, and no one should win when they have a bunch of individuals on the court, it can only be done as a team.

"It's a shame for America to not win gold in a sport that it originated, same with baseball."

Ahhhhh . . A Canadian invented basketball my friend. His name was Dr. James Naismith. He may have been in the states when he did it, but he was born and raised Canadian. http://inventors.about.com/library/i...basketball.htm

So the usa won the bronze, good for them. I like the idea of the champion team playing as a team in the olympics.