Over the last several years, basketball has evolved from a sport completely dominated by their creators, to an international phenomenon. This has been apparent as the U.S. dominance in international play has diminished. Not only has the U.S. national squad not won a World Championship since 2000, but the premiere basketball headquarters, the National Basketball Association, has become an international game in itself. No longer are NBA squads made of mostly Americans, they are derived from a wide variety of talented foreign players, several of whom have found great success in the association.
This year, in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China, the U.S. Men's National Basketball Teams hopes to regain the swagger and dominance that made them seemingly invincible. Since The Dream Team's incredible performance in the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, the aura surrounding U.S. basketball has disappeared. While most would agree the United States is still home to the most athletically gifted basketball players on the planet, the U.S. men's squad has been unable to translate that talent into international superiority as of late.
Although the days of M.J., Sir Charles, and Shaq making international opposition look silly may be over, this 2008 National team appears poised to restore America's winning basketball tradtion. The international game is quite different than NBA-style hoops. The officiating is questionable at best, the play is highly physical, and the 3-point arc is much shorter than in the American professional game. First, the shorter arc obviously is an advantage to many of the foreign teams that rely heavily on sharp-shooting to counter-act the American team's athletic advantages. Next, the officiating is awful because of the weak communication between referees due to language barriers. And finally, NBA Super-Stars such as Kobe Bryant and Lebron James are accustomed to getting the benefit of the doubt when it comes to close-calls, which they don't obtain on the international stage.
Despite these obstacles, the biggest is their competition. The rest of the world is catching up, and it is obvious when watching international compeition. Teams such as Lithuania, Spain, and Germany have evolved and have a chemistry that can't be obtained during a couple months of practice. In addition, they now sport several NBA players, many of whom are NBA All-Stars. The Redeem Team has looked fairly impressive in early victories over China, Angola, and Greece, but their outside shooting is still a concern and could cost them in the medal rounds. The leadership of Lebron James and Kobe Bryant has been evident, and the Mike Krzyzewski coached group has looked hungry and determined, pressuring the ball, and dominating the boards.
Hopefully, the time this team has spent together and the pressure they feel to bring the gold home will be enough to propel them to victory. But certainly the U.S. has alot of work to do to restore their invincibility and reclaim their status as basketball's heartland.
