Dream Team Stunned by Puerto Rico 92-73

My Way News ^ | 8/15/04 | CHRIS SHERIDAN/AP

[gortklattu]

Yep. Get used to the court in its entirety and you'll have more three pointers.

[JPJones]

Who knows about the shooting though. Why USA Basketball did not bring a balanced team to this games is a real mystery. Most of the guys on the team are post up players who play with their back to the basket. Why there are not 3 or 4 shooters on this team who can hit the outside jump shot is beside me. One would probably have to look at the endorsement contracts to figure that one out.

It's a good analysis. I'm surprised that after the 88 loss, it wasn't completely obvious to USA BB that 3 pointers are the key to this international game...they've made the same mistake, twice. Shame on them.

[dfwgator]

They should've brought Steve Kerr out of retirement.

[jerry639]

It is outrageous but I blame it on a lot of high paid superstars not willing to play for their country. With this inexcusable loss, I will not watch even one NBA game this coming season. Will be hard to keep that promise to myself but I will do it. Any NBA player, who is eligible to play for the U.S.A. and was invited to play on the team, doesn't deserve to be supported. So, I am going to boycott the entire NBA season.

[ClintonBeGone]

That being said, will somebody please tell me why they have their own Olympic team.

My thoughts exactly. Perhaps the IOC allows PR to man a team to be cuturally sensative.

[Rakkasan1]

when Duncan is your best "shooter" you know you're screwed.
further proof the NBA has become just a rap video clip
of dunks and short on fundamentals.

[A CA Guy]

Well let's be fair, they are also good at fathering children out of marriage, making big scary faces when they succeed to make a dunk and have shown this Olympics that their desire to prepare for success is zilch.

[jf55510]

You missed a key point, many players did not want on the team. Key players.

How does:

It's not only the 3 pointers, our players are on an international court.

We need to change our courts in the US if we want to seriously compete in international basketball.

Equal key players did not want to be on the team? I could have put together a better team than what Stern put together with players who wanted to go. But to save time, I will let Bill Simmons do it for me.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/040804

[LibertarianLiz]

I think we should really reconsider having professional athletes represent us in the Olympic games. I think we should be represented by our young athletes as before

Thank you! Thank you!

I have never liked having pros playing in the Olympic games. And you're right about the Miracle on Ice Team. The reason they were so amazing, and the victory so amazing, was because the Soviet team was a "pro" team. They were a bunch of army officers who were stationed together and did nothing but hockey. For a bunch of young kids from various states and schools to be able to get together and beat these guys was amazing. And, THAT is why we still talk about it.

I cannot think of anything more boring than watching a bunch of overpaid pro players beat the tar out of some small country that has no chance at all.

My other gripe is that I feel that the pros are taking away a wonderful experience from some college player. What do these guys need with a gold medal. They can toss it in with the rest of the "awards" they have been given. But a college player, who is a good player, may not have what it takes to get into the NBA. The Olympics may be his shot at something special and for a bunch of multi-millionaires to take that away is, to me, disgusting.

I was happy that Puerto Rico beat these guys. And Italy,too, if I'm not mistaken.

[gortklattu]

Related facts are not the result of a syllogism.

[TexanAmerican]

FYI..little known factoid..the US men's BB team silver medals, from the rigged loss to the USSR, have never been claimed..they sit in a vault in the IOC HQ in Switzerland..
\\\\\

Don't get me started on that. I still get pi$$ed off when I think back on that game!

[Cronos]

That being said, will somebody please tell me why they have their own Olympic team.

For the same reason that French Polynesia or Bermuda or Guam or American Samoa or the Pitcairn Islands have their own teams.

[Cronos]

We need to change our courts in the US if we want to seriously compete in international basketball.

come on -- the NBA should now become the IBA -- we have so many International players --> and the eastern Europeans and the Italians and the central Americans are getting really very good -- the Chinese too.

[Cronos]

Why is Puerto Rico represented in the Olympics? Last time I checked, they were a territory of the US. They don't have to pay many taxes but they still get tons of benefits. I say cut 'em loose. They want to be independent, let them. Can someone tell me the benefits of having PR be in the US?

So, I suppose we do the same for Guam, American Samoa etc?

[Cronos]

Then again, Bird, Magic etc. knew how to play team ball, even if they were not use to playing with each other

good point!

[KneelBeforeZod]

I wonder if the $1,299 signed lebron james olympic jersey on home shopping is worth it...

[dmc8576]

I couldn't tell if you were being sarcastic or asking a serious question. But I don't know the answer. All I was asking was what were the benefits of having them in the US. But yes, if Guam, American Samoa, and all the other territories wanted to be independent, I'd say let them be. I don't know the upside of maintaining control over them.