Post by jailblazer2352 on Sept 1, 2008 11:54:59 GMT -5
For basketball fans, the iconic image of Summer 2008 has to be the United States Men's Basketball team jumping in the newfound unison that came to define the "Redeem Team," following a hard fought, gold medal-earning victory over Spain.
From 1936 to 2000 the United States served as the zenith of basketball prowess, winning gold in 12 out of the 14 Olympic tournaments they played in. In the eight years following their gold medal in 2000, the U.S. team became the zenith of embarassment. In addition to the blatant failures on the court, the players acted like a pack of hood rats off the court. While our rival nations built cohesive, unified teams that prided themselves on fundamental basketball skills, the United States just threw a group of individual all-stars together a month before the international tournaments. But this was the new NBA. Young, black "ballers" packed with an overwhelming wealth of talent and athleticism, but an alarming shortage of fundamental discipline, mixed with foreigners who pride the three point shot over the
dunk. It's an NBA whose cream of the crop spurned a college lifestyle for an NBA paycheck. An NBA whose core group of players seem more suited for Rucker Park than a FIBA World Championship.
At the 2004 Athens Games, the United States hit rock bottom. 10 of the 12 original players chosen for the team dropped out, citing injuries (many of them skeptical) and summer obligations. Argentina forward and Chicago Bull, Andres Nocioni called his country's 2004 gold medal "the greatest moment of my life next to the birth of my child." Many of his temmates share a similar feeling. While the United States banked on players who weren't even interested in representing the red, white, and blue, our rivals banked on players who poured their hearts out for their beloved nations.
It seemed the world had caught up to the United States, which brings forth the most important message sent by the "Redeem Team." Contrary to popular belief, the world isn't even close to the United States. The last eight years have taught us that the world has discovered basketball. Gone are the days of opponents asking original Dream Teamers like Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan for their autograph. Gone are the days of the robotic Soviet Union as our primary rival and lone challenger.
Due to the incredible dominance of the first 3 Dream Teams, the Americans thought they could get by with just throwing a bunch of all-stars together a month before the Olympics. My friends and I prepare longer for a glorified pick-up game. Enter sports mogul and longtime Suns owner Jerry Colangelo. Colangelo handpicked an original group of nearly 30 of the NBA's best players with a goal of narrowing them down to the best possible 12. Enter Duke basketball coach Mike Kryzewski, the greatest man on the planet when it comes to molding together a cohesive basketball team. If anyone could make a team out of 12 NBA all-stars, it was Coach K. The principles of FIBA basketball are almost identical to the principles of NCAA basketball.
Colangelo and Kryzewski demanded a three year, team-building committment from every single player. Superstars like Kobe Bryant and Lebron James took on a leadership role. With a team-oriented system in place, players used to having the offense run through them were forced to find their niche on such a star-studded team. Chris Bosh found his through hustle plays. Dwyane Wade found his through the fastbreak. Heck, Melo even learned to play defense. Most importantly, every player felt a distinct pride in representing their country. For perhaps the first time in their lives, these superstars found something bigger than themselves. Every single one of them has been the best player on nearly every team they've played on.
The Redeem Team affectively showed the world just how superior the United States has remained on the court. They also expressed great American sportsmanship off the court, proving that the NBA is a league of extroadinary young gentlemen, not just a supersized pack of hood rats. With our newfound program and our revamped pride the United States is capable of becoming for basketball what Brazil is for soccer: everybody else's 2nd favorite team. What can the world learn? Now that the United States has a program in place, it's hard to envision anybody bringing us back down to the dark days of 2004. When you mix superior athleticism with superior team basketball you create a nearly unstoppable force. But let's not forget, the gold medal game was still close. The world has made strides. The U.S. has finally adjusted. In a top-notch level of competition everybody is responding to one another. The world will respond. Eventually, they may even catch the United States. Until then, keep working on those jump shots while we jump in a refreshing unison.
From 1936 to 2000 the United States served as the zenith of basketball prowess, winning gold in 12 out of the 14 Olympic tournaments they played in. In the eight years following their gold medal in 2000, the U.S. team became the zenith of embarassment. In addition to the blatant failures on the court, the players acted like a pack of hood rats off the court. While our rival nations built cohesive, unified teams that prided themselves on fundamental basketball skills, the United States just threw a group of individual all-stars together a month before the international tournaments. But this was the new NBA. Young, black "ballers" packed with an overwhelming wealth of talent and athleticism, but an alarming shortage of fundamental discipline, mixed with foreigners who pride the three point shot over the
dunk. It's an NBA whose cream of the crop spurned a college lifestyle for an NBA paycheck. An NBA whose core group of players seem more suited for Rucker Park than a FIBA World Championship.
At the 2004 Athens Games, the United States hit rock bottom. 10 of the 12 original players chosen for the team dropped out, citing injuries (many of them skeptical) and summer obligations. Argentina forward and Chicago Bull, Andres Nocioni called his country's 2004 gold medal "the greatest moment of my life next to the birth of my child." Many of his temmates share a similar feeling. While the United States banked on players who weren't even interested in representing the red, white, and blue, our rivals banked on players who poured their hearts out for their beloved nations.
It seemed the world had caught up to the United States, which brings forth the most important message sent by the "Redeem Team." Contrary to popular belief, the world isn't even close to the United States. The last eight years have taught us that the world has discovered basketball. Gone are the days of opponents asking original Dream Teamers like Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan for their autograph. Gone are the days of the robotic Soviet Union as our primary rival and lone challenger.
Due to the incredible dominance of the first 3 Dream Teams, the Americans thought they could get by with just throwing a bunch of all-stars together a month before the Olympics. My friends and I prepare longer for a glorified pick-up game. Enter sports mogul and longtime Suns owner Jerry Colangelo. Colangelo handpicked an original group of nearly 30 of the NBA's best players with a goal of narrowing them down to the best possible 12. Enter Duke basketball coach Mike Kryzewski, the greatest man on the planet when it comes to molding together a cohesive basketball team. If anyone could make a team out of 12 NBA all-stars, it was Coach K. The principles of FIBA basketball are almost identical to the principles of NCAA basketball.
Colangelo and Kryzewski demanded a three year, team-building committment from every single player. Superstars like Kobe Bryant and Lebron James took on a leadership role. With a team-oriented system in place, players used to having the offense run through them were forced to find their niche on such a star-studded team. Chris Bosh found his through hustle plays. Dwyane Wade found his through the fastbreak. Heck, Melo even learned to play defense. Most importantly, every player felt a distinct pride in representing their country. For perhaps the first time in their lives, these superstars found something bigger than themselves. Every single one of them has been the best player on nearly every team they've played on.
The Redeem Team affectively showed the world just how superior the United States has remained on the court. They also expressed great American sportsmanship off the court, proving that the NBA is a league of extroadinary young gentlemen, not just a supersized pack of hood rats. With our newfound program and our revamped pride the United States is capable of becoming for basketball what Brazil is for soccer: everybody else's 2nd favorite team. What can the world learn? Now that the United States has a program in place, it's hard to envision anybody bringing us back down to the dark days of 2004. When you mix superior athleticism with superior team basketball you create a nearly unstoppable force. But let's not forget, the gold medal game was still close. The world has made strides. The U.S. has finally adjusted. In a top-notch level of competition everybody is responding to one another. The world will respond. Eventually, they may even catch the United States. Until then, keep working on those jump shots while we jump in a refreshing unison.