<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">LAS VEGAS - It once was considered impossible that basketball's founding nation would ever lose its international supremacy in the fast-growing sport. The United States is still home to James Naismith's original peach basket and memories of the 1992 Dream Team, but no longer any major global championships. Four years of taking repeated bruises on the court and to the ego have left the country's governing foundation, USA Basketball, hoping for something else deemed impossible: to have the best of both worlds at the worlds. They want All-Stars who are selfless. The attempt is to claim the title at the World Championships next month in Japan. To get it done, the new architects of the USA Basketball organization will start a lengthy team-building exercise this week in Las Vegas, followed by a whirlwind international tour designed to unite talented millionaires for the cause. And that will set the stage for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. At the centerpiece are two of the NBA's biggest names: LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. They are two players not only expected to come together to share the burden, but also, perhaps, to do it at the same time on the floor. New Team USA coach Mike Krzyzewski and new USA Basketball boss Jerry Colangelo have assembled a team full of stars and role players with an eye toward American players' greatest attributes: athleticism and versatility. The plan is to get them to work together to erase the lingering doubt after a sixth-place finish at the 2002 World Championships and bronze medal at the 2004 Olympics. ``Continuity and unity are keys,'' Krzyzewski said. ``That's an advantage the international teams have had over us.'' It started last year as Colangelo met with dozens of players, looking to identify who met the new goals and ones willing to commit three summers. Some top players decided not to take part and some were not invited. Kobe Bryant was scratched from the roster after undergoing minor surgery on his right knee Saturday. The rest will be at UNLV starting Wednesday for a week-long training camp. Colangelo got James' commitment to the three-year plan after a meeting in Chicago in December. He clearly is one of the players USA Basketball hopes will be a part of the national team for years to come. ``We said at the start that we weren't picking an All-Star team,'' Colangelo said. ``We wanted to compile a team that would have a lot of ingredients.'' There are 25 players on the national team roster, but just 12 will be picked to go to Japan. Only a few spots haven't been assured; James and Wade are locks, as well as the top point guards and big men. But who plays with whom and which players squeeze onto the final roster will be anything but the pleasure trip that past world competition preparations have been for Team USA.</div> Source
I have a good feeling that Team USA will capture the gold. The only reason why we got bronze in the last olympics was because a lot of the elite players didn't want to participate. This time, almost everyone wants to chip in. Plus, we will have guys like Dwight, Lebron and Wade all in their prime. Gold here we come!
Having elite players doesn't win the championship, but having an elite team does. Despite not having all of their very best players, USA has still had the deepest and best team on paper by far in recent tournaments. But having the best team on paper just isn't enough, the team has to work well together to win it all. If USA can play well as a team, it'll be very difficult for anyone to stop them.
Last year we sent to many losers like Marbury, Iverson, Boozer, etc. Those guys barely had playoff experience let alone knew what it took to win. This year's team improves on playoff and championship experience.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Heat4Life:</div><div class="quote_post">Last year we sent to many losers like Marbury, Iverson, Boozer, etc. Those guys barely had playoff experience let alone knew what it took to win. This year's team improves on playoff and championship experience.</div> Excuse me? How can you say Allen Iverson is a loser? Think for a second before you post something arrogant. AI led his team to the 2001 NBA Finals. Does that make him a loser? Does winning rookie of the year make him a loser? Does winning the MVP of the 2001 season make him a loser? Does winning the MVP of the 2005 all star game make him a loser? Come on now, think before you post.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Brian:</div><div class="quote_post">Excuse me? How can you say Allen Iverson is a loser? Think for a second before you post something arrogant. AI led his team to the 2001 NBA Finals. Does that make him a loser? Does winning rookie of the year make him a loser? Does winning the MVP of the 2001 season make him a loser? Does winning the MVP of the 2005 all star game make him a loser? Come on now, think before you post. </div> Thank you for getting to this, lol didnt want to tell him off my self =/
What he means is: He IS a looser, barely wins anything recently, he AINT a winner, at least he hasn't since 2003~
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting arre:</div><div class="quote_post">What he means is: He IS a looser, barely wins anything recently, he AINT a winner, at least he hasn't since 2003~</div> Alright, so are guys like Kobe, Kidd, and Pierce losers?
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Brian:</div><div class="quote_post">Alright, so are guys like Kobe, Kidd, and Pierce losers?</div> I know AI singlehandedly lead a team to the finals.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Brasco:</div><div class="quote_post">I know AI singlehandedly lead a team to the finals.</div> Not to mention AI was the sole reason team USA even got a medal. He was the only one willing to sacrifice his body in order for our country to win. That's what pisses me off. He did so much for our team, yet he didn't even get an invite to join team USA's tryouts!
i hope that usa will get gold this olympics. they now have training camp, so i think that will be easier for the players to get used to each others game. having all stars on 1 team is difficult b/c they all have a diff. way of playing.
I'm going to go with heat4life on this one. The bottom line is that those players on the last olymipic team did not bring home a gold. I don't see anything even remotely resembling a winner in that piss poor performance. As much as I like lebron james, I have to say that he has yet to become a winner.
Ok... Our last olympic team sucked but don't put it all on Iverson, that's just a lazy/inappropriate thing to do.
