The United States Men's Basketball Team regained a measure of satisfaction last month by winning the FIBA Americas Olympic Qualifying Tournament in San Juan, Puerto Rico and earning a berth in the 2004 Summer Olympic Games in Athens. Team USA swept through the competition with a 10-0 record. The USA won their games by an average score of 102-71. Harsh? Maybe. A bad thing? Absolutely not.
After the dismal showing in last year's World Championships, the USA got its mojo working and kicked some butt. That performance last year was actually a good thing. It was a desperately needed wake up call. We are still the best in the world but with the rise in the skill level of international basketball, we cannot be so arrogant to think we can send just anyone and hope to win. This time we sent our best and we will do the same next summer in Greece.
There have been a lot of complaints about this concept of sending NBA players into international competition. Some of those concerns are legitimate. FSP Hoops Guru LJ Ellis brought up good points on the issue of safety. He brought up concerns of fatigue and injury to the U.S. players. It was an issue with David Robinson and still could be with Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili. He unfairly took shots for being against Team USA. He was not anti-American but rather anti-getting our star players hurt. I totally support that. I would have been devastated if Duncan or Ginobili had sustained an injury during the tournament. That has to cross the mind of NBA players as well, but the call of representing one's country is often too much to resist. I am all for sending amateurs to the Olympics but make sure they are true amateurs. Other country's rules on professionalism were sketchy at best. They allowed players to go outside the country and make money but came back to be an "amateur" at home. Either no pros of any kind or maintain the status quo.
There are other complaints from players and fans of other countries' teams that are the equivalent of the kid who you schooled on the playground. You know the one, he finds every way to justify getting slapped around, every way that is except the truth. You were just the better player. Hey, don't blame Tim Duncan, AI, T-Mac or the boys. They are just playing by the rules laid down by FIBA. They said that all are welcome. They said bring your best. We did and people got beat and beat bad. It goes back to that whole "be careful for what you wish for" thing.
This was an Olympic qualifying tournament, yet apparently the Olympic ideal does not apply when you beat the host country twice on their home turf. In the semi-final win over host Puerto Rico, those in attendance showed their sportsmanship by throwing coins and beer at the U.S. team and coaches. Part of the home crowd's ire was admittedly justified. New Jersey Net and poster boy for fair play Kenyon Martin blew kisses to the crowd after the 87-71 victory. That combined with an incident between Tracy McGrady and Puerto Rico's Eddie Casiano turned the crowd hostile. I love it when people outside the U.S. bash us for our behavior, but we are not the ones who kill each other in soccer riots.
In no way am I defending these players. Martin's kiss blowing and McGrady's chest bumping were uncalled for but they were rare lapses in judgment by the Americans. For the most part, Team USA played with emotion and heart and got the job done. When another country's player shows emotion and heart, he is intense. We do it and we are bad sports. I guess getting your ass handed to you over and over again can cause some negative feelings. I admit gladly and freely that the world has gotten a lot better since the Original Dream Team re-established American dominance of the sport. I welcome it. I am glad to see the globalization of the game of basketball. The improvement of the world's basketball teams gives us reasons for us to stay on top of our game. However, the fact remains that if every country puts their best players on the floor, the U.S. is going to win almost every time. And the rest of the world can either keep improving or get lost in the vapor trail, the one that leads to gold. Right now we are the best, and there should be no shame in that.
Can a national team laden with NBA stars lose? Sure, and it will happen. And when it does, I will congratulate the winner and give credit where it is due. If we send our best, like everyone else does and we still lose then we can make no excuses, nor should we.
However it is not going to happen in the near future and until it does, I plan to enjoy watching this team as they recapture the gold next summer in Athens. It will not be a cakewalk; many national teams have NBA players on their rosters and will be gunning for Team USA. That is exactly what we need to see. Everybody brings their best and let the chips fall where they may. But when the gold comes back to American soil, relax, enjoy it and don't apologize for the success. No matter what anyone says, it was deserved.
