US national team announced – are you scared?

June 24, 2008

I followed a lot of ESPN Sportscenter, Around the Horn and other stuff like that today. The US National team was announced:

Named to the 2008 USA Basketball Senior National Team were: Carmelo Anthony (Denver Nuggets); Carlos Boozer (Utah Jazz); Chris Bosh (Toronto Raptors); Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers); Dwight Howard (Orlando Magic); LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers); Kidd; Chris Paul (New Orleans Hornets); Tayshaun Prince (Detroit Pistons); Michael Redd (Milwaukee Bucks); Dwyane Wade (Miami Heat); and Deron Williams (Utah Jazz). Duke University Hall of Fame coach Mike Krzyzewski is head coach of the USA Senior Team program. Serving as assistant coaches are Syracuse University and Hall of Fame coach Jim Boeheim, New York Knicks head mentor Mike D’Antoni and Portland Trail Blazers head coach Nate McMillan.

Don’t get me wrong, these names are the top performers of worldwide basketball entertainment and any team would love to have just one of these guys on their roster, but do teams like Spain, Lithuania and Russia have to be scared? No, not at all.

You still need to have a team and really take pride in representing your nation. I do know guys like Dirk Nowitzki are busting their a** off right now, with three or four training sessions a day, just to qualify for the Olympics. Do you really think one of the guys above does care that much?

Following the NBA Finals taught me one thing about US Basketball: You might be the best guy in the world, but if somebody wants it more than you do – you will lose, right Kobe?

Another thing you might have seen during the NBA finals: It is still a TEAM that wins championships – you can’t do much,when they isolate your top star with a box-and-one defense, right, Kobe?

So am I scared, or do I feel like “these other countries caught up with US Basketball” (as said on every single TV show on ESPN today)? No and yes. I’m not scared, and European basketball does not have to catch up – we are right there, guys!

As excited as I am about the start of the Euroleague season, I’m excited about this year’s Olympics, right, Kobe?

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This post was published on June 24, 2008
Tuesday rumorsThe token American responds: Be afraid
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Comments: 8
  1. Eric
    15 years ago

    Too many PG or combo guards (6 for 12), not enough centers (just Dwight Howard).
    A coming problem : who will start at PG ? The experienced but falling in Dallas Jason Kidd or the next generation (Paul or Williams, better but without international experience).
    No Celtics ?

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  2. elaj
    15 years ago

    Scared? LOL.

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  3. robbe
    15 years ago

    Scared of who?

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  4. uhg80
    15 years ago

    Wow, LeBron and D-Wade. The two best running backs in the game.

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  5. P Santos
    15 years ago

    Where are the champions???? Pierce, Garnett?? And Amare Stoud..???, Strange

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  6. Steve
    15 years ago

    USA Basketball should have picked more big men.

    Dwight Howard is their only true Center.
    They need more 6’11/7 foot players.

    Where is Tim Duncan? Kevin Garnett? Tyson Chandler?
    America could have some trouble if they run into a team with some great bigs.

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  7. Danilo
    15 years ago

    nobody wanted Duncan around after the debacle at the 2004 olympics. He and Iverson have no shot at the national team again.

    Team USA has tried for years to get Kevin Garnett to play for them, and up to this point he’s always declined. Same for Ray Allen (and the team really has a similar version of Ray Allen already in Michael Redd). I’m not sure why not Paul Pierce, I think he was on the team that did poorly at the 2002 world championships.

    I’m suprised they didn’t go with Tyson Chandler over Teyshaun Prince, they’re going pretty small. Carmello Anthony and Lebron James will play the majority of the time at power forward.

    The key for this team is Jason Kidd and Kobe Bryant…they’re the 2 new additions since the last world championship, and already the unquestioned leaders of the team. Kidd is the real key, he’s still the best ball distributor in the world. And Kobe’s defense will be a key, he’s considered one of the top 5 defenders in the NBA.

    But when it comes down to it, in a one-game format, teams like Spain, Lithuania, Argentina, Greece, Russia, even China in the right situation, all have legit shots at the Americans. I still think they have to be the favorites, with Spain a close 2nd.

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  8. Danilo
    15 years ago

    Also, Amare Stoudemire is worried about worsening his knee injury, otherwise he would play

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