Nobody said he wouldn't help. The question is, would he have helped enough to allow Team USA to "easily" win gold. I don't think so, because the team's issues go far deeper than a lack of scoring, man-to-man defense, etc. and one player couldn't solve them.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Chutney:</div><div class="quote_post">Nobody said he wouldn't help. The question is, would he have helped enough to allow Team USA to "easily" win gold. I don't think so, because the team's issues go far deeper than a lack of scoring, man-to-man defense, etc. and one player couldn't solve them.</div> Are we talking about the same forum? If you had read any of the comments, you would have seen that many in the forum want to believe that he wouldn't have helped at all. That's just a result on their pure hatred for him and hopefully not their knowledge of the game.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting KobeTheLegend:</div><div class="quote_post">Are we talking about the same forum? If you had read any of the comments, you would have seen that many in the forum want to believe that he wouldn't have helped at all. That's just a result on their pure hatred for him and hopefully not their knowledge of the game.</div> Yes, I've read those comments, but those people are taking it to the extreme. The majority of the posters in this thread have felt that, while Kobe would have helped, he wouldn't have made it a guarantee that Team USA would win gold.
I never made that guarantee. Nothing is a guarantee. I was only saying that he would have definately helped and i think that they would have more than likely won the gold.
The reason team USA lost that game is because nowadays NBA pros don't play with the same intensity like they used to . Can you see Jordan,Bird or Magic even accepting to lose? Me neither, and certainly not when you have to make your country proud. NBA players don't show the will and desire to win every game because they realize it's not necessary in the leauge. You can lose 2 games in a row, if you have a decent record, it doesn't really matter. Because of that they don't show the same fire every game, and I think that is what happened against Greece. They thought they would win, by just playing around a bit, and they lost, and team USA got another wake-up call. Maybe they should've lost a game in the group series, that would've been a good warning, but it didn't, and they went home with bronze instead of gold. BTW, if game 7 against Phoenix never happened, I would have said that the USA would probably have won the WC, because I thought Kobe was the player with the biggest heart in the leauge. But now,I realize, it wouldn't even matter.
Game 7 against Pheonix is a whole other story. Kobe new he couldn't win that game by himself. He kept them close through out the first half anD continued to try to get his team going. They didn't step up. He tried again in the second half and they responded as if they were dead. Kobe would not have sat back and did nothing while they wre only down by 5 or 6 points against Greece. Had he been there they wouldn't have been in that position in the first place.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting SkiptoMyLue11:</div><div class="quote_post">I agree with Fresh Prince, adding to the USA roster another elite player (even if he is better than the best SG on team USA (which is debateable)) is not fixing what the true problem is. The American team with its current players at SG (Wade/Hinrich/Joe Johnson depending on who is on the floor) are probably better individual players already than their European counterparts. Bringing in Kobe, is like saying Team USA didn't have enough talent at SG (which it did). The weakest area talent-wise was Center, but even with its current roster it had more than enough to beat every team. Saying Team USA needed Kobe, is ignoring the fact that Team USA had good enough tools already, it just needed all the parts to come together nicely and play team offense and team defence. I think Team USA will improve by the Olympics, just a question of how much.</div> We already know he's the best player in the league. But Kobe also brings intensity and EXPERIENCE. The so-called Big 3 are relativley young players who haven't reached they're max potential. They're still babies, which explains y they buckled under pressure (again!!). Missed free throws, blown assignments, are all things you do when you running scared and about to lose. They needed a player to calm things down, hit big shots or get to the free throw line and MAKE THEM. Kobe would've done all those things and some. <div class="quote_poster">Quoting KobeTheLegend:</div><div class="quote_post">Are we talking about the same forum? If you had read any of the comments, you would have seen that many in the forum want to believe that he wouldn't have helped at all. That's just a result on their pure hatred for him and hopefully not their knowledge of the game.</div> This is why we can't ever have a decent debate on Kobe, because of ppl's personal hatred for the man. They'll say things like "He's not the best in the league he's a jerk, unlike Lebron" But basketball wise, Kobe is easily the best player in the league and Team USA wouldn've have lost if they had Kobe's intensity and knowledge of the game.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting KobeTheLegend:</div><div class="quote_post">I never made that guarantee. Nothing is a guarantee. I was only saying that he would have definately helped and i think that they would have more than likely won the gold.</div> No, I know you didn't make that guarantee. But that's what this thread claims. There's no doubting that he would have helped. But, I think we've seen bias from both extremes say that Kobe either wouldn't have helped at all or would have been the difference between bronze and gold. I personally believe that he would have been a much better player to build around, but there are deeper issues that lead to this team losing (eg: coaching, defensive scheme, scouting, etc.).
<font size="4">i?ro?ny</font> (ī'rə-nē, ī'ər-) n., pl. -nies. <div class="quote_poster">Quoting Rock4life:</div><div class="quote_post">We already know he's the best player in the league. ... This is why we can't ever have a decent debate on Kobe, because of ppl's personal hatred for the man. They'll say things like "He's not the best in the league he's a jerk, unlike Lebron" But basketball wise, Kobe is easily the best player in the league and Team USA wouldn've have lost if they had Kobe's intensity and knowledge of the game.</div>
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Rock4life:</div><div class="quote_post">You can say what you want, but the USA team was too young to handle the pressure of competing for they're country. The same players that the media and little teenage kids overhype simply aren't at the level some might think yet. What the team needed was a veteran playmaker that would hit bigshots in crucial situations (and wouldn't be afraid to take it). With Kobe, the team wouldn't have lost. The real problem was that the players got rattled and started playing scary when Greece had them down. Being the best player in the league, Kobe NEVER gets rattled and would've bailed out Team USA just like he bailed out the Lakers with Shaq. Next time around, hopefull he'll play.</div> right..haven't you learned anything about international bball?it's a team game...the dream team played that well because they played like a team...and believe me,there are countries that CAN guard kobe..
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting daam81:</div><div class="quote_post">right..haven't you learned anything about international bball?it's a team game...the dream team played that well because they played like a team...and believe me,there are countries that CAN guard kobe..</div> "Team ball" isn't regulated to just international play. Contrary to popular belief, I don't isolate team ball as the reason they lost. After all, with a few defensive stop, outside shooting and made free throws, we win the game and ur claim of "Team ball" never gets mentioned. And for the record, NOBODY in the NBA can hold Kobe so assuming that a team from another country can is ridiculous.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting TimmyDMVP:</div><div class="quote_post">Team USA only has three weeks to get ready to play, kobe would not have changed a thing.</div> You know better than that...... I hope.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Rock4life:</div><div class="quote_post">"Team ball" isn't regulated to just international play. Contrary to popular belief, I don't isolate team ball as the reason they lost. After all, with a few defensive stop, outside shooting and made free throws, we win the game and ur claim of "Team ball" never gets mentioned. And for the record, NOBODY in the NBA can hold Kobe so assuming that a team from another country can is ridiculous.</div> why couldnt another team hold him from another country? They play team defense over there, something that not many teams in the nba know about. Sure kobe would have helped, but we are so much more talented than anyone, it shouldnt change much. We need to play as a team on BOTH ends to win.
I think it's safe to say, with regards to the thread, Even if Kobe was on the team, the gold wouldn't have been automatic. Kobe would have definitely been a big factor, but it wouldn't have guaranteed the gold.
did anyone else notice that spain won withOUT pau gasol, their most talented player by far? wthat jsut goes to show how much of a team game it is.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting TheFreshPrince:</div><div class="quote_post">did anyone else notice that spain won withOUT pau gasol, their most talented player by far? wthat jsut goes to show how much of a team game it is.</div> I would disagree to a degree. Our selfish offensive style still put up enough points. If we just play better team defense we would have beat Greece.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting huevonkiller:</div><div class="quote_post">I would disagree to a degree. Our selfish offensive style still put up enough points. If we just play better team defense we would have beat Greece.</div> Hence why they don't need Kobe, they need to have a coach who can teach them to play defense (not go for steals every possession).
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Run BJM:</div><div class="quote_post">Hence why they don't need Kobe, they need to have a coach who can teach them to play defense (not go for steals every possession).</div> Yes this is "true". But I am inclined to think it would be a positive to have him. The same way Pau Gasol wasn't needed for Spain's Gold Medal game, but he would have improved the team nonetheless.
